tissue plasminogen activator

noun

: a clot-dissolving enzyme with an affinity for fibrin that is produced naturally in blood vessel linings and is used in a genetically engineered form to prevent damage to heart muscle following a heart attack and reduce neurological damage following ischemic stroke
abbreviation TPA

Examples of tissue plasminogen activator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1995, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study led by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) that tested the effects of tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, on patients who were having an ischemic stroke. Eva Holland, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023 But the UC Health statement said the new unit can bring a CT scanner to a patient and the clot-busting medication tissue plasminogen activator. Anne Saker, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2020 Brain scans confirmed that diagnosis, and she was treated with an intravenous blood thinner called tissue plasminogen activator. Alice Park, Time, 6 Jan. 2023 The most common blood-clot breaker right now is called tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. Patrick Morgan, Discover Magazine, 11 May 2011 After the stroke was diagnosed in an emergency room at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago, she was given a common intervention, the powerful blood-clot busting medication tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Bycharles Piller, science.org, 27 Nov. 2022 To facilitate protein expression of the RBD antigen, a CMV promoter and human tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) were also inserted, as shown in the figure below. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 The procedure was now too risky and he was given intravenous tissue plasminogen activators (TPA), a treatment used to help dissolve blood clots. Hannah Drown, cleveland, 31 Oct. 2019 To qualify, hospitals must meet quality measures developed to reduce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA. baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 19 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tissue plasminogen activator.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tissue plasminogen activator was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near tissue plasminogen activator

tissue paper

tissue plasminogen activator

tissular

Cite this Entry

“Tissue plasminogen activator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tissue%20plasminogen%20activator. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

tissue plasminogen activator

noun
: a clot-dissolving enzyme that has an affinity for fibrin, that catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin, that is produced naturally in blood vessel linings, and that is used in a genetically engineered form to prevent damage to heart muscle following a heart attack and to reduce neurological damage following ischemic stroke
abbreviation tPA
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