The healing power of maggot slime

[T]here’s growing evidence that maggots not only help remove necrotic flesh but that their excretions can also reduce inflammation by suppressing the immune system. …

Maggot therapy works essentially by having the larvae consume infected and necrotic flesh, while largely ignoring healthy tissue. Of course, patients are discouraged from attempting the treatment on their own, as it can lead to uncontrolled maggot infestations and infections. …

As ScienceNOW points out, maggots have been part of the medicinal world for centuries. For example, doctors in Napoleon’s army used maggots to treat the wounds of injured soldiers. After the invention of penicillin the use of maggot therapy largely tapered off. …