Maggots, worms and leeches are not exactly the pets to keep. But they are becoming increasingly popular in medicine. As a natural cleansing commando, they are said to clean wounds, clean up the intestines and activate the immune system.
Lots of yuck, few side effects
Treatment practices of our ancestors and effective therapy methods in modern medicine: fly maggots in wounds, leeches on the skin for venous disorders and rheumatic complaints, worm eggs to drink for chronic intestinal diseases – what sounds unappetizing brings resounding success in many cases. The main thing is to overcome disgust among patients and medical staff – otherwise, such treatments usually have few side effects.
Fly maggots
Treatment with maggots has been known for quite some time, but have been superseded by antibiotics since the 1940s. Only in recent years the little animals crawl again more frequently on wounds. They even kill bacteria that are insensitive to antibiotics, and do so particularly gently. Only the dead, infected tissue is eaten; living cells are not touched. This is an advantage over the usual method using a scalpel, in which the surgeon has no choice but to remove healthy tissue at the wound edges as well. The more specific working method of the small animals is also called biosurgery. Fly maggots are used especially for chronic, poorly healing wounds, for example diabetic feet or lower leg ulcers. But they can also help with acute wound infections. Doctors report some spectacular successes. For example, the creepy-crawlies have already saved patients with aggressive infections that could not be stopped by antibiotics from having their limbs amputated.
Mode of action of fly maggots
The maggots of the blowfly species Lucilia sericata possess a whole arsenal of modes of action: First, they attack the infectious agents directly. In this way, they alter the acidic environment in the wound, in which the pathogens feel particularly comfortable, and they secrete a digestive secretion that acts like a local antibiotic. On the other hand, the maggots also have a positive effect on the wound itself. They release certain substances that activate the wound’s metabolism and stimulate healing. This effect is presumably enhanced by the fine body hairs of the animals, which mechanically stimulate the wound surface when they move. In addition, the maggots secrete substances that liquefy the dead tissue. This allows them to consume it and the bacteria. A maggot grows to over one centimeter in length within a few days as a result of this feast – three to seven times its original size.
Treatment with fly maggots
The sterile maggots are applied to the wound directly, i.e., “free running,” or sealed in gauze bags. The latter are opaque and are the size of tea bags. They spare patients and staff the sight of the five to ten creepy-crawlies per cm of wound surface. The wound edges are completely sealed, and dressings are changed after two to five days. The treatment usually does not hurt, but only tingles and pinches a little; however, there may be an unpleasant odor. If patients are sure that there is no danger of the little animals escaping from their “workplace,” they can usually get comfortable with the therapy.
Leech
Leeches have served therapeutic purposes for thousands of years, but clinical studies are still pending. Leeches contain anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and vasodilator substances. They are therefore used for diseases caused by or associated with circulatory disorders. These include varicose veins, thrombosis, phlebitis and hypertension. There are also reports of successful treatment of complaints of muscles and bones, for example, spinal diseases and arthrosis. A leech sucks about three to six milliliters of blood; another 20 to 30 milliliters are lost through secondary bleeding. Their bite is briefly painful, similar to a mosquito bite. The fully sucked animal falls off by itself after 10 to 40 minutes. Side effects caused by the leech secretion are not uncommon: mild local reactions such as redness, swelling and itching, as well as circulatory weakness.
Worm eggs
In Germany, an estimated 300,000 people suffer from one of the inflammatory bowel diseases Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These autoimmune diseases are chronic, and patients have constant or recurrent intestinal symptoms that cannot always be treated with medication or surgery. A cocktail made from eggs of the pig whipworm now promises a gentle alternative. This water-like liquid is drunk about twice a month, and the worm eggs it contains are supposed to hatch into parasites in the intestine, which die after a short time and are excreted. The idea behind this is that it stimulates the immune system. The theory sounds plausible, and the side effects are minor. At present, however, there are not yet enough studies to scientifically substantiate the effect. Other researchers are looking into the extent to which worm infections can reduce allergic diseases such as asthma and hay fever. Whether there will be a corresponding vaccine made from worm eggs in a few years, however, currently requires further research.
