Slug slime heals wounded people

A CHEMICAL that will help plasters stick to open wounds has been inspired by common garden slugs.

Cuts are difficult to seal because body fluids make plasters fall off. Also many common adhesives are toxic to cells and do not bind strongly to tissue.

So scientists looked at the mucus secreted by slugs for a solution to stick wet tissue together. When the slug is threatened, its mucus glues it into position, making it hard for a predator to grab it off a surface.

The new bio-glue strongly binds together skin, cartilage, heart, artery, and liver. Prof Donald Ingber, of the Wyss Institute at America’s Harvard University, said: “We are excited to see how this might develop into a new technology for surgical repair and wound healing.”