Medical Importance
L. sericata has been of medical importance since 1826, when Meigen removed larvae from the eyes and facial cavities of a human patient. L. sericata has shown promise in three separate clinical approaches. First, larvae have been shown to debride wounds with extremely low probability of myiasis upon clinical application. Larval secretions have been shown to help in tissue regeneration. L. sericata have also been shown to lower bacteremia levels in patients infected with MRSA. Basically, L. sericata larvae can be used as biosurgery agents in cases where antibiotics and surgery are impractical.
Studies have shown that larval secretions in vitro have been successful in enhancing fibroblast migration to wound site, positively impacting wound closure. It is found that larval therapy of L. sericata is highly recommended for the treatment of wounds infected with Gram-positive bacteria, yet is not as effective for wounds that are infected with Gram-negative bacteria. Also, studies shown that bacteria from the genus Vagococcus were resistant to the maggot excreta/secreta. Attempts are currently undergoing to extract or synthesize the chymotrypsins found in larval secretions to destroy MRSA without application of the larva itself.
Read more about this topic: Common Green Bottle Fly
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