tissue plasminogen activator: Meaning and Definition of

tis'sue plasmin'ogen ac'tivator

Pronunciation: [key]
— Biochem. Biochem.
  1. an anticlotting enzyme, naturally occurring in small amounts in the blood.
  2. the same enzyme, produced in large amounts by genetic engineering techniques for use in dissolving blood clots. Abbr.: TPA
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.