Ribbon worms are active predators that use an eversible proboscis to inject venom into their
prey and defend themselves with toxic epidermal secretions. Previous work on nemertean …

Many known evolutionary lineages have yet to be described formally due to a lack of
traditional morphological characters. This is true for genetically distinctive groups within the …

Acanthobdellida gnaw into the sides of salmonid fishes in frigid Arctic lakes and rivers,
latching on with fearsome facial hooks. Sister to leeches, they are an ancient lineage with …

Some, probably most and perhaps all, members of the phylum Nemertea are poisonous,
documented so far from marine and benthic specimens. Although the toxicity of these …

Bloodfeeding leeches have powerful anticoagulants that allow them to feed for extended
periods. However, many leech species are predatory rather than bloodfeeding. It is not …

Medicinal leeches of the genus Hirudo inhabit large areas of the Palaearctic realm. The
distribution range of Hirudo troctina includes the southern Iberian peninsula and the …

Haematophagous leeches rely on a broad variety of bioactive compounds to secure a
sufficient blood meal from their vertebrate prey. Both the primary (platelet aggregation) and …

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is the primary pathway for regulating blood pressure in
the body, and angiotensin-converting enzymes (ACEs) play a crucial role in it. Hirudo …

The potato type I proteinase inhibitor family is a group of serine proteases that can alter
physiological processes by regulating immune responses, wound healing, and tissue …

Leech therapy relieves pain and inflammation, and there are explanations for its success. In
leech saliva, in addition to substances that prevent blood clotting, there are also analgesic …