Platelet aggregation inhibitors from hematophagous animals

Salivary glands from blood-sucking animals (e.g., mosquitoes, bugs, sand flies, fleas, ticks, leeches, hookworms, bats) are a rich source of bioactive molecules that counteract hemostasis in a redundant and synergistic manner. This review discusses recent progress in the identification of salivary inhibitors of platelet aggregation, their molecular characterization, and detailed mechanism of action. Diversity of inhibitors is remarkable, with distinct families of proteins characterized as apyrases that enzymatically degrade ADP or as collagen-binding proteins that prevent its interaction with vWF, or platelet integrin α2β1 or GPVI. Molecules that bind ADP, TXA(2), epinephrine, or serotonin with high affinity have also been cloned, expressed, and their structure determined. In addition, a repertoire of antithrombins and an increasingly number of RGD and non-RGD disintegrins targeting platelet αIIbβ3 have been reported. Moreover, metalloproteases with fibrinogen(olytic) activity and PAF phosphorylcholine hydrolase are enzymes that have been recruited to the salivary gland to block platelet aggregation. Platelet inhibitory prostaglandins, lysophosphatydilcholine, adenosine, and nitric oxide (NO)-carrying proteins are other notable examples of molecules from hematophagous salivary secretions (herein named sialogenins) with antihemostatic properties. Sialogenins have been employed as tools in biochemistry and cell biology and also display potential therapeutic applications.

Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.

Salivary glands from blood-sucking animals (e. g.

Explore cómo esta investigación se conecta con la práctica clínica

More peer-reviewed studies in Farmacología salival.

• Novel Leech Antimicrobial Peptides — Hirunipins — Kumar et al. (2025)
• 434 Salivary Proteins — Integrated Proteomics of Hirudo medicinalis — Liu et al. (2019)
• Medicinal Leech Genome Assembly — Anticoagulant Gene Catalog — Kvist et al. (2020)
• Draft Genome of Hirudo medicinalis — BMC Genomics — Kvist S et al. (2020)
• Hirudin Disrupts Breast Cancer CTC Clusters — Anti-Metastatic Potential — Research team (2025) (2025)
• Novel CRA Protein from Hirudo medicinalis — Complement Regulation — Research team (2025) (2025)
• Hirunipin-2 — Second-Generation Leech Antimicrobial Peptide — Kumar et al. (2025)
• Comparative Transcriptomics of Three Hirudo Species — Babenko VV et al. (2020)
• Effects of hirudotherapy on liver functions, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity in rats with metabolic syndrome — Bilden A et al. (2026)
• Efficacy and Safety of Hirudotherapy for Improving Sperm Quality Parameters in Male Infertility: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Abtahi-Forooshani M et al. (2026)