This invention is intended to isolate and identify a vWF-specific cleaving protease. The vWF-specific cleaving protease cleaves a bond between residues Tyr 842 and Met 843 of vWF and comprises a polypeptide chain having Leu-Leu-Val-Ala-Val as a partial sequence, and more preferably comprises a polypeptide chain having the partial N-terminal amino acid sequence of a mature protein, Ala-Ala-Gly-Gly-Ile-Leu-His-Leu-Glu-Leu-Lu-Val-Ala-Val, and having a molecular weight of 105 to 160 kDa in SDS-PAGE under reducing or non-reducing conditions. Isolation and identification of this vWF-specific cleaving protease have led to the possibility of replacement therapy for patients having diseases resulting fom a deficiency of the protease, such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
