How does a leech therapy work?

Many professionals are convinced in the effectiveness of leech therapy. But so far, there are many subjective opinions that suggest a therapeutic benefit. Now scientists found evidence of possible effectiveness of the therapy with the bloodsuckers

Already in ancient Egypt leeches has been attributed to effective medical way of treatment. Even today the leech therapy is used by doctors and alternative practitioners in the case of wide variety of health complaints. Now researchers have been looking for evidence of the therapeutic efficacy leech therapy.

However, most of these substances which leech inject in our body are previously explored, and only a few possible effects for the patient are known. It was also unclear whether the amount of the salivary substances sufficient for therapeutic efficacy. In the current study has now been shown that when the leech inject twenty different biologically active salivary proteins are delivered in a sufficient concentration to affect physiological processes in the human body.

Proteins in an correct concentration.

The research show that the reservoir with the salivary gland cells of the leech completely emptied during an act of sucking and 1.2 mg protein are injected into the wound. And enter the individual saliva proteins having concentrations of 3-236 pmol/l in the patient’s body.

For now known only one effective protein which injected in body in time of leech therapy – the thrombin inhibitor hirudin. Therefore Hirudin is already at a concentration of 1 pmol /l active. By comparison, according to the researchers,current study lead us to concluded that at least 20 other ingredients of leech saliva are transferred into potentially effective to humans.

Further research will now deal with the identification of these substances, to find out which molecules can be influenced by the leech proteins in the human body.