Hirudin possesses three disulfide bridges forming the structure of core cyclic peptides, which binds to the catalytic site of thrombin so as to inhibit the catalysis of thrombin.

• 近年来,通过把水蛭素与某些功能蛋白融合表达来解决这些问题,得到的融合蛋白或在体内延长水蛭素的半衰期,或降低其出血副作用,或带来新的功能,如:溶栓、抑制血小板凝集、特异寻靶等。