Leech Saliva Pulmonary-Fibrosis Pharmacology (Composite)
Review of leech extract + saliva pharmacological mechanisms relevant to pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases — Sarli 2019 (Iranian Group).
Preclinical / mechanisticLast updated: 2026-05-28 · Reviewed by ASH Editorial Board
Mechanistic Evidence Box
Preclinical / mechanistic- Page type
- Compound profile
- Evidence type
- Review of leech extract + saliva pharmacological mechanisms relevant to pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases — Sarli 2019 (Iranian Group).
- Evidence level
- Preclinical (animal)
- Drug vs leech
- Leech-derived crude extract
- Safety domains
- Bleeding
Clinical translation limit
Preclinical pulmonary / liver fibrosis pharmacology does NOT translate to clinical efficacy. Not an FDA-cleared indication.
Molecular Profile
- Category
- Other
- Evidence tier
- Preclinical
- Source species
- Hirudo medicinalis / orientalis
- Discovered
- 2019 · Sarli J et al.
Biological Targets
- → TGFβ1 pathway; collagen deposition; fibroblast activation
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).