Treating prostate, ovarian, or breast cancer with a whole, leech saliva extract
Methods are provided for isolating and using a whole-saliva leech extract. The methods can include feeding a phagostimulatory agent to a leech; inducing a regurgitation in the leech, the inducing including placing the leech in an environment having a temperature of less than about 0° C.; and, collecting an unrefined, whole saliva in the regurgitation of the cooled leech. The methods can include revitalizing the leech by warming it at a temperature ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C. Stable, lyophilized, whole-saliva extracts of a leech are also provided, the extract having a stable activity when stored for use at a temperature below about −20° C., the extract maintaining at least 70% of the activity for at least 6 months. The extracts can be used to treat solid tumors, treat liquid tumors, treat diabetes, treat a viral disease, treat a parasitic disease, treat an antibacterial disease, or serve as an anti-oxidant.
1. A method of treating prostate, ovarian, or breast cancer in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering an effective amount of a refined, whole leech saliva extract to the subject, the extract having a peptide molecular weight distribution with molecular weights of 3496 Daltons or greater; wherein, the whole leech saliva extract functions as a cytotoxic agent in the treatment of prostate, ovarian, or breast cancer, wherein the extract is produced from a process comprising:
feeding a phagostimulatory agent to a leech;
inducing a regurgitation in the leech, the inducing including placing the leech in an environment having a temperature of less than 0° C. or about 0° C.; and,
collecting an unrefined, whole saliva in the regurgitation of the cooled leech.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising revitalizing the leech by warming the leech in a water bath having a temperature ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises creating a refined, whole-saliva extract; the creating including removing solid components from the unrefined, whole saliva.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises lyophilizing separate volumes of the refined, whole saliva extract, the volumes not exceeding about 2 ml each.
5. The method of claim 1 , the leech being Hirudinaria manillensis.
6. A method of treating prostate, ovarian, or breast cancer in a subiect in need thereof, comprising administrating an effective amount of a refined, whole leech saliva extract to the subiect, the extract having a peptide molecular weight distribution with molecular weights of 3496 Daltons or greater; wherein the whole leech saliva extract functions as a cytotoxic agent in the treatment of prostate, ovarian, or breast cancer, wherein the extract is produced from a process comprising:
feeding a phagostimulatory agent to a leech;
inducing regurgitation in the leech, the inducing including placing the leech in an environment having a temperature ranging from about −5° C. to about 15° C.
collecting an unrefined, whole saliva in the regurgitation of the cooled leech;
removing solid components from the unrefined, whole saliva to create a refined, whole saliva; and,
lyophilizing separate volumes of the refined, whole saliva extract, the volumes not exceeding about 2 ml each.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is a prostate cancer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is an ovarian cancer.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is a breast cancer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer is an adenocarcinoma.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight distribution of the whole saliva extract ranges from 4276 Daltons to 44386 Daltons.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight distribution of the whole saliva extract ranges from 6289 Daltons to 14244 Daltons.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight distribution of the whole saliva extract ranges from 10812 Daltons to 88210 Daltons.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molecular weight distribution of the whole saliva extract ranges from 3496 Daltons to 88210 Daltons.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole extract is administered in combination with irinotecan.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the whole extract is administered in combination with carboplatin.