an enzyme produced by the blood vessels that dissolves blood clots by converting plasminogen into plasmin: it is manufactured using recombinant DNA technology and used to prevent stroke, etc.
See tissue plasminogen activator in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun Abbr. TPA or tPA
A clot-dissolving enzyme that is produced naturally by cells in the walls of blood vessels and catalyzes the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin.
A preparation of this enzyme that is produced by genetic engineering and used to dissolve clots blocking coronary arteries in heart attack and cranial arteries in certain cases of stroke.