Scientists in Bradford have developed a new wound dressing that brings the benefits of maggots to patients with chronic wounds without the chomp'.

For centuries, maggots have been used to clean wounds because of their ability to feed on dead tissue while leaving healthy skin intact.

Fly larvae are still being used in modern medicine, with Bradford being one of the first centres in the UK to use maggot therapy on a regular basis under the leadership of Professor Peter Vowden, head of vascular therapy at Bradford Teaching Hospitals.

However, many patients are reluctant to accept the use of maggots on their wound because of the yuk' factor and many physicians are reticent to deploy maggots because of the logistical hurdles associated with their use since timing is crucial to their effectiveness.

So now cell biologist Dr Stephen Britland and research fellow Annie Smith, of the University of Bradford's School of Pharmacy, along with Bradford chemists Dr Donald Eagland and Nick Crowther and Professor David Pritchard, of Nottingham University, have developed a means of delivering the benefits of maggot therapy without using the larvae directly.

Instead, the maggot secretions are trapped in a gel and applied in the same way as a normal dressing. Tests on artificial skin have shown the new dressings work to clean the wound and even speed up healing.

Prof Vowden confirmed the technology could have a significant impact on the clinical management of patients with chronic wounds and it will now be tested on humans.

Dr Britland said the dressing was no less effective than using live maggots themselves as benefits to wound cleaning did not come from the chomping' activity associated with feeding, but from the enzymatic activity within maggot secretions.

"Maggot therapy is now used in several locations in the UK and Europe," he said.

"Maggots are used solely for cleaning the wound, after which they are removed.

"With this technology, when you get to the point where the maggots are normally removed you would just keep the dressing on longer and that should stimulate tissue regeneration."

Other benefits from using live maggots include a longer shelf-life and getting rid of the cost and transportation of live maggots.

The technology is now covered by a patent protection and is being developed as a commercial product through AGT Sciences Ltd, in Bradford, supported by a grant of £1 million.

Dr Britland said the wound dressing could be available within three years.

e-mail: claire.lomax@bradford.newsquest.co.uk