Hirudin Disrupts Breast Cancer CTC Clusters — Anti-Metastatic Potential
Preclinical evidence for leech-derived hirudin inhibiting circulating tumor cell clustering
Summary
Preclinical study demonstrating that hirudin, the prototypical leech-derived thrombin inhibitor, disrupts circulating tumor cell (CTC) cluster formation in breast cancer models. CTC clusters are key drivers of metastasis; hirudin’s ability to disaggregate them suggests a novel anti-metastatic mechanism independent of its anticoagulant activity.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
Opens an entirely new therapeutic dimension for leech-derived compounds. If validated in clinical settings, hirudin’s anti-CTC activity could reposition thrombin inhibitors as adjunctive cancer therapy — a paradigm shift from their established cardiovascular applications.
Citation
Hirudin Disrupts Circulating Tumor Cell Clusters in Breast Cancer
Research team (2025) · Experimental & Molecular Medicine (Nature), 2025
Added to ASH library: March 18, 2026 · Site last updated: March 18, 2026