Usually, the human body can repair wounds on its own. But illnesses like cancer and diabetes can cause wounds to heal more slowly. This makes them vulnerable to infections, which can be deadly. That’s where maggots come in.
Nigam is a professor of biomedical science at Swansea University in the United Kingdom. She’s an expert in maggot therapy, the use of medicinal maggots to clean wounds. Medicinal maggots can quickly consume dead and infected tissue, allowing healthy tissue to grow so wounds can close.
Still, there’s a “yuck factor” surrounding medicinal maggots, says Nigam. As an advocate for maggot therapy and the founder of Swansea’s “Love a Maggot” campaign, she’s determined to change that. Nigam spoke with Science World about the healing power of these creepy-crawlies.