Extraction of urokinase: crude product extraction does not affect the safety of later pharmaceuticals
Urokinase is an enzyme protein isolated from healthy human urine or
obtained from human kidney tissue culture. The urokinase can be extracted
through the urine extraction process, and the urokinase can be used for the
treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and thrombus.
![Extraction of urokinase: crude product extraction does not affect the safety of later pharmaceuticals](/UploadFiles/2023-02-02/16753093532405530.jpg)
Urokinase is a thrombolytic substance. In Shanghai in the 1960s, some
research institutes were already extracting urokinase. This method of extracting
urokinase from the urine of healthy people has a scientific basis. Compared with
streptokinase, which has the same effect, urokinase has no antigenicity and will
not cause allergic reactions, but because it is extracted from urine, its cost
is relatively high. Professor Feng said that the drug production process is
affected by the technology, and the amount of the extracted drug is related to
the advanced level of the technology. As for why male urine was chosen,
Professor Feng said that it was mainly due to factors such as women's
susceptibility to infection, and most of the students are in good health, so
they are the ideal group for urine collection.
The crude urokinase obtained after collecting and processing the urine can
be sold to pharmaceutical factories. The refining of the crude product is only
the first step in the production of urokinase, which will not affect the safety
of later-stage pharmaceuticals.