Time to Change Theory; Medical Leech from a Molecular Medicine Perspective: Leech Salivary Proteins Playing a Potential Role in Medicine
Review published in Adv Pharm Bull (2020)
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. Thus far, leeches were utilized in treating various diseases like skin disorders, arthritis, and cancer. In Egypt, using leeches for treatment dates back to early 1500 BC. A medical leech's salivary glands involve over 100 bioactive proteins and the salivary gland secretion contains bacteriostatic, analgesic, and anticoagulation influences; with resolving activity, it causes microcirculation disorders elimination, restoring the hurt vascular permeability of organs and tissues, removing hypoxia, decreasing blood pressure and detoxifying the organism by antioxidant paths. The current work reviews the innovative treatment with medical leech, especially proteins in leech saliva extraction (LSE) with high potential in medicine. The virtue of salivary gland secretions which are proteinaceous enzymes, leech acts on various diseases such as venous congestion in reconstructive and plastic surgery, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases caused by blood coagulation disorders, pain management, priapism, macroglossia, cancer complications, wounds and many other. To confirm the potential therapeutic impacts of leech treatment, more studies are required in more extensive areas with more exact methodologies.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Review of medical-leech salivary-gland proteins (over 100 bioactives) including anticoagulants, analgesics, bacteriostatics, and microcirculation modulators. Maps clinical applications across venous congestion, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, pain, priapism, and macroglossia.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This review explores medicinal leech therapy and leech salivary proteins from a molecular medicine perspective, noting that medical leech salivary glands contain over 100 bioactive proteins with bacteriostatic, analgesic, anticoagulant, resolving, microcirculation-restoring, anti-hypoxic, and antioxidant activities. It discusses applications including venous congestion in reconstructive/plastic surgery, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, pain management, priapism, macroglossia, cancer complications, and wound healing, tracing leech medicinal use back to Egypt circa 1500 BC. For ASH's domain, this is directly relevant: it is a dedicated review of leech salivary proteins and their therapeutic potential, aligning with the core focus of ASH. Caveat: as a review, it presents no new experimental data and the authors explicitly state that more rigorous and extensive studies are needed to confirm therapeutic effects; specific molecular or clinical evidence is not detailed in the abstract.
Citation
Time to Change Theory; Medical Leech from a Molecular Medicine Perspective: Leech Salivary Proteins Playing a Potential Role in Medicine.
Shakouri A et al. · Advanced pharmaceutical bulletin, 2020
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