'Essence of Maggot' Ointment Speeds Healing

As disgusting as it may sound to have maggots crawling around in your open wound, doctors have noted the benefit from it for hundreds of years. What may have started as a beneficial accident has developed to the level where hospitals breed fly larvae in sterile environments. Doctors are now moving to the next phase and isolating what specifically helps speed the healing process. New research has shown that it is the fluid secreted by the maggots which is what helps. Researchers have further isolated the enzyme from that fluid potentially removing the need for the maggots. The new product will almost certainly be easier to transport and store then the sterile maggots. The easier and cheaper it becomes, the more people can and will be impacted positively by the medicine.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090603-maggots-heal-wounds.html

"Bandages and ointments infused with essence of maggot may soon be coming to a drugstore near you.
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"We have produced an enzyme from the maggot fluid with the capacity to remove decaying tissue from the wound, giving the underlying tissue a better chance to heal,"
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"Now that we understand the 'mechanism of maggots,' we are translating this knowledge to make effective wound-care products."

A bandage impregnated with maggot "juice" is one possibility. But a gel containing maggot enzymes is the most likely product, Pritchard said. Such a gel could be spread over wounds to promote healing."