American Society of Hirudotherapy

Hirudin Disrupts Breast Cancer CTC Clusters — Anti-Metastatic Potential

Preclinical evidence for leech-derived hirudin inhibiting circulating tumor cell clustering

Last Updated: March 18, 2026Reviewed by: ASH Editorial Board
Research article — evidence reviewArticle reference
Drug DevelopmentSalivary PharmacologyResearch team (2025) · Experimental & Molecular Medicine (Nature), 2025

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

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Hirudin Disrupts Breast Cancer CTC Clusters — Anti-Metastatic Potential | ASH