Screening of the Promising Direct Thrombin Inhibitors from Haematophagous Organisms. Part I: Recombinant Analogues and Their Antithrombotic Activity In Vitro.

The success in treatment of venous thromboembolism and acute coronary syndromes using direct thrombin inhibitors has stimulated research aimed at finding a new anticoagulant from haematophagous organisms. This study deals with the comparison between hirudin-1 from (desirudin), being the first-known and most well-studied natural anticoagulant, along with recombinant analogs of haemadin from the leech , variegin from the tick , and anophelin from . These polypeptides were chosen due to their high specificity and affinity for thrombin, as well as their distinctive inhibitory mechanisms.