Iranian Expert Develops Larval Therapy for Treating Diabetic Wounds

Larval therapy, also known as maggot therapy, is the application of disinfected fly larvae to chronic wounds to debride the wound bed of necrotic tissue, reduce bacterial contamination and enhance the formation of healthy granulation tissue.

On the sidelines of the Islamic Azad University’s Asreh Omid Event, Jafari told ANA that a new method of larval therapy has been used to heal diabetic foot ulcers, which prevents the staggering number of amputations by healing wounds.

Maggot therapy has been reported to be especially effective in treating diabetic wounds once it starts early in the process.

The method is growing as a result of the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Jafari, the managing director of Natural Healers Company, is working at the growth center of the Islamic Azad University, Malayer branch.

He pointed out that larva therapy is used to treat leg ulcers of patients, and as the name suggests, insects are used in this method.

The larva is actually the worm-shaped baby of insects and it has been shown in experiments that it has a special use in the treatment of infected wounds, diabetes, abscess, etc., he explained.

We conducted several tests on diabetic wounds with the use of the larval therapy method. The sterilized larva produces secretions including digestive enzymes, ammonia, etc., and is placed on the wound, Jafari pointed out.

After being placed on the wound, it destroys the infections and eventually the wound heals, he added.

Unfortunately, an amputation occurs in the world every 30 seconds, and 80 percent of the issue is directly related to the silent disease of diabetes. Therefore, the treatment has received much attention, he stressed.

Over the past three years, more than 500 patients who were candidates for amputation were treated with the larval therapy method in Hamedan province.

Asreh Omid Event was held in late May in Tehran’s Grand Mosalla with the participation of 3,000 knowledge-based companies, laboratories, research teams, and startups.

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