Leech Hirudo Lectin
Carbohydrate-binding lectin reported in Hirudo medicinalis salivary glands — putative agglutinin / immune modulator.
Praeklinisch / mechanistischLast updated: 2026-05-26 · Reviewed by ASH Editorial Board
Mechanistic Evidence Box
Preclinical / mechanistic- Page type
- Compound profile
- Evidence type
- Carbohydrate-binding lectin reported in Hirudo medicinalis salivary glands — putative agglutinin / immune modulator.
- Evidence level
- Mechanistic discussion
- Drug vs leech
- Purified natural compound
Clinical translation limit
This lectin is documented mechanistically only. Hypothesized roles in pathogen agglutination or host-immune modulation are NOT clinically validated. No FDA-approved derivative exists.
Molecular Profile
- Category
- Other
- Evidence tier
- Preclinical
- Molecular weight
- 30,000 Da
- Source species
- Hirudo medicinalis
- Discovered
- 2018
Biological Targets
- → carbohydrate ligands on bacterial / host surfaces
External Resources
Related Other Compounds
Granulin (leech-derived)
Growth factor and wound-healing modulator — promotes angiogenesis and tissue regeneration.
Leech VEGF Modulator
Vascular endothelial growth factor pathway modulator — angiogenic and wound-healing implications.
Leech PDGF Modulator
Platelet-derived growth factor pathway modulator — implications for wound-healing.
Leech Granulin-A
Granulin-family peptide identified in Hirudo medicinalis — putative growth-factor / wound-healing analog (mechanistic only).