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Role of Fibrinolytic Enzymes in Anti-Thrombosis Therapy
Farwa Altaf1, Shourong Wu1,2, Vivi Kasim1,2
1The Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
Insights
Novel fibrinolytic enzymes offer a promising, cost-effective alternative for treating thrombosis, a leading cause of death. These natural compounds effectively degrade fibrin, minimizing side effects associated with traditional therapies.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Thrombosis, a significant global health issue, accounts for 31% of all deaths, often leading to myocardial infarction and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
- Current thrombosis treatments, including anti-platelet and anti-coagulant drugs, present risks such as bleeding complications, hemorrhage, and allergic reactions.
- The high cost of conventional therapies poses a substantial financial burden, particularly for patients in low and middle-income countries, highlighting the need for affordable alternatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of fibrinolytic enzymes as novel, low-cost therapeutic agents for thrombosis.
- To discuss the natural mechanisms of fibrinolysis and thrombus formation.
- To review the production and therapeutic applications of fibrinolytic enzymes.
Main Methods:
- Review of natural fibrinolysis and thrombus formation mechanisms.
- Investigation of fibrinolytic enzyme production from various sources.
- Analysis of fibrinolytic enzymes' efficacy and safety in thrombosis therapy.
Main Results:
- Fibrinolytic enzymes, such as proteases, nattokinase, lumbrokinase, urokinase plasminogen activator, and tissue-type plasminogen activator, directly degrade fibrin, offering high efficacy in thrombus elimination.
- These enzymes can be produced cost-effectively with high yields from microorganisms and other sources.
- Fibrinolytic enzymes present a favorable alternative with fewer significant drawbacks compared to classical thrombosis treatments.
Conclusions:
- Fibrinolytic enzymes represent a viable and economical therapeutic strategy for managing thrombosis.
- Their direct action on fibrin and cost-effective production make them attractive candidates for future drug development.
- Further research into fibrinolytic enzymes could lead to improved treatments for cardiovascular diseases and reduce mortality rates associated with thrombosis.
Abstract:
Thrombosis, a major cause of deaths in this modern era responsible for 31% of all global deaths reported by WHO in 2017, is due to the aggregation of fibrin in blood vessels which leads to myocardial infarction or other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Classical agents such as anti-platelet, anti-coagulant drugs or other enzymes used for thrombosis treatment at present could leads to unwanted side effects including bleeding complication, hemorrhage and allergy. Furthermore, their high cost is a burden for patients, especially for those from low and middle-income countries. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop novel and low-cost drugs for thrombosis treatment. Fibrinolytic enzymes, including plasmin like proteins such as proteases, nattokinase, and lumbrokinase, as well as plasminogen activators such as urokinase plasminogen activator, and tissue-type plasminogen activator, could eliminate thrombi with high efficacy rate and do not have significant drawbacks by directly degrading the fibrin. Furthermore, they could be produced with high-yield and in a cost-effective manner from microorganisms as well as other sources. Hence, they have been considered as potential compounds for thrombosis therapy. Herein, we will discuss about natural mechanism of fibrinolysis and thrombus formation, the production of fibrinolytic enzymes from different sources and their application as drugs for thrombosis therapy.
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