3 ms·
Your local hospital quite likely currently has a tank of leeches. They are still used in surgery. Especially after reattachment surgeries. They secrete anticoag
by culi 1y ago
Your local hospital quite likely currently has a tank of leeches. They are still used in surgery. Especially after reattachment surgeries. They secrete anticoagulants which prevent blood clotting. They are also used in microsurgery to increase blood flow to a certain area.
- wk_end 1y agoIs there some reason why we can’t either extract those anticoagulants from the leeches or otherwise synthesize them?
- ot 1y agoFrom Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirudo_medicinalis) > Because of the minuscule amounts of hirudin present in leeches, it is impractical to harvest the substance for widespread medical use. Hirudin (and related substances) are synthesized using recombinant techniques. Devices called "mechanical leeches" that dispense heparin and perform the same function as medicinal leeches have been developed, but they are not yet commercially available.