It's long been known that Maggots can not only clean infected wounds by dissolving and eating necrotic tissue... even wriggling off the wound themselves when it is is sterile... they also secrete a "cocktail" of chemicals that fight infection... antibiotics if you like... what has just been revealed is that that secretion is capable of fighting even the toughest infections including 12l strains of MSRA and C-Difficille!
The antibiotic, named Seraticin™, is derived from the maggot secretions of the common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) and scientists hope to develop it into an injection, pill or ointment... Scientists from Swansea University... have purified Seraticin™ and undertaken the study of its structure and the mechanism by which it prevents infection. The next steps will be to complete the identification of the compound and develop a way to synthesise it. It can then be tested on human cells and eventually in clinical trials in order to determine its medical effectiveness and properties as a novel antibiotic.Once again Creation proves to have the answer for man-made problems!MRSA infections cause suffering, amputations and death, not to mention the estimated £1 billion cost to the NHS. Between 2002 and 2006, 6,201 deaths in England and Wales involved MRSA and 15,683 deaths in England and Wales involved C. difficile. The rapid rise in antibiotic-resistant bacteria means that scientists urgently need to find a solution.
While this is totally amazing, I can't decide which creeps me out more... the thought of maggots (**shiver**) or the thought of a trademark sign beside something that God created.
Posted by: wilsonian | 06/08/2008 at 01:58