Time to Change Theory; Medical Leech from a Molecular Medicine Perspective Leech Salivary Proteins Playing a Potential Role in Medicine

• Published in: Advanced pharmaceutical bulletin 2021-02, Vol.11 (2), p.261-266
• Main Authors: Shakouri, Amir, Wollina, Uwe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acids; Analgesics; anti- cancer; Anticoagulants; Arthritis; Blood pressure; Cancer; Enzymes; Exocrine glands; Hypoxia; leech saliva; medical leeches; Medicine; Metastasis; Osteoarthritis; Pain; Permeability; protein; Proteins; Review
• ISSN: 2228-5881; 2251-7308
• DOI: 10.34172/apb.2021.038

Article info Article History: Received: 18 May 2020 Revised: 30 June 2020 Accepted: 4 July 2020 epublished: 26 July 2020 Keywords: * Leech saliva * Medical leeches * Protein * Anti-cancer * Cancer Abstract Followed by developing modern medicine, leeches did not have extensive use as before; however, in the late 19th century, they were still used in most countries all over the world. [...]far, leeches were utilized in treating various diseases like skin disorders, arthritis, and cancer. In the equimolar thrombin-hirudin complex, all the thrombin's biological functions are blocked. [...]not only hirudin avoids fibrinogen clotting but also hinders other thrombin-catalyzed hemostatic reactions like the clotting factors V, VIII, and XIII activation and the activation of thrombin-induced platelet. [...]through the instantaneous inhibition of thrombin created after activating the coagulation system, the positive response on prothrombin activating typically resulting in accelerated creation of thrombin, is hindered while delaying the thrombin creation. [...]coagulation is retarded or completely prevented relying on the hirudin concentration in blood.11,12 In Figure 1 previous research of LSE demonstrated that it contains a wide range of active proteins with diverse molecular weight. Destabilase possesses a main degradative action on stabilized fibrin. [...]it also needs to be assessed as an anticoagulant agent.11 Hirustasin Hirustasin is a 55 amino acids peptide, purified from medical leech saliva.