Fibrin clot formation is necessary for maintaining the integrity of the vasculature via the physiological processes of hemostasis and wound healing and is also involved in pathological processes, such as thrombosis and atherosclerosis. Fibrinolysis, or the dissolution of the clot, is necessary to remove clots so that they do not become obstructive. There must be a dynamic balance between clot formation and fibrinolysis to prevent either bleeding or thrombosis. Although the biochemical process of fibrinolysis is well known, less has been known about the physical process of lysis. In these studies, the surface of digested clots were examined by scanning electron microscopy, the products released were visualized by transmission electron microscopy and the process of lysis was followed in real time by confocal microscopy.

Fibrin is degraded by the fibrinolytic system, in which a plasminogen activator converts plasminogen to plasmin, a serine protease that cleaves specific bonds in fibrin leading to solubilization.