The islet tissue plasminogen activator/plasmin system is upregulated with human islet amyloid polypeptide aggregation and protects beta cells from aggregation-induced toxicity.

The fibrinolytic system is upregulated in islets with hIAPP aggregation. Plasmin rapidly degrades hIAPP, limiting its aggregation into amyloid and thus protecting beta cells from hIAPP-induced toxicity. Thus, increasing islet plasmin activity might be a strategy to limit beta cell loss in type 2 diabetes.