Hementerin information

Hementerin is a metalloprotease found in the saliva of a hematophagous leech, Haementeria depressa, which is responsible for the anticoagulant property of the animal's bite to prolong blood sucking from the host. It was discovered in 1955 at the Butantan Institute, in São Paulo, Brazil, by Gastão Rosenfeld and collaborators.