This book is made possible by the enthusiastic contributions of the authors of the chapters. They have been invited from young and active scientists in the field of t-PA research. I am grateful for their contribution and for the fact that all accepted the specifications of their chapter in order to obtain a structured book. Inevitably, some overlap does exist; on the one hand to enable controversial or unsettled areas to be discussed by the different experts with a different approach and background.It is a particular pleasure and honor that Dr. T. Astrup, as an eye-witness and essential contributor to the history of t-PA discovery and research, gives a unique account of the history of t-PA research in the first chapter of the book.

Kluft, Cornelius

Section 3: Physiology 11. Synthesis and Secretion Plasminogen Activators and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor by Endothelial Cells 12. Mechanisms Involved in Short-Term Changes in Blood Levels of t-PA 13. Turnover and Clearance of t-PA 14. Regulation of the Plasminogen Activator Level in Blood, Section 4: Aspects 15. Biological Variations in t-PA Activity and Antigen 16. Clinical Relevance of t-PA Levels and Fibrinolytic Assays 17. Thrombolytic Therapy with t-PA 18. Stimulation of Endrogenous Fibrinolysis