The worm as bringer of medical miracles
For centuries, the only use humans found for the lugworm - dark pink, slimy
But the invertebrates’ unappreciated status
Their blood, say French researchers, has an extraordinary ability to load up with life
Harnessing it for human needs could transform medicine, providing a blood substitute that could save lives, speed recovery after
“The haemoglobin of the lugworm can transport 40 times more oxygen from the lungs to tissues than human hemoglobin,” said Gregory
“It also has the advantage of being compat
Raymond and his team, which specializes in
million of the creatures each year, each provid
worm had never been studied, all parameters needed inventing from scratch, from feeding
Medical interest in the lugworm - Arenicola - break of mad- cow disease in Europe and the worldwide HIV epidemic began to affect
The problem was that animal hemoglobin, as a substitute for the human equivalent, can cause allergic reaction, potentially damaging
In lugworms, though, hemoglobin dissolves in the blood and is not contained within red blood cells as in humans — in other words, blood type is not an issue — and its structure
If proven safe for humans, the researchers said, the worms’ oxygen-rich blood could tackle septic shock - a crash in blood pressure that can cause fatal multiple organ failure - and help to
Clinical trials of the blood product began in are currently enrolled in tests of the blood
Male or female
The secrets of lugworm hemoglobin lie in its ability to survive in extreme conditions, bur
inches) in length and has several bushy external
At high tide, submerged in water, the worm builds up stocks of oxygen that, astonishingly, allow it to survive more than eight hours out
Anyone who has walked along a sandy beach at low tide will see evidence of lugworms, from the tiny coiled casts of sand they throw up from
But, apart from anglers who dig up the creatures for bait, lugworms are rarely seen - and
“The main difficulty is working with a small animal that lives its life hidden,” ex
- ing problems - including how to tell a male
adult worms survived and a good deal of them
and the worms are transported to Hemarina’s
could provide the world of medical science with
“There is nowhere else in France or the world that has the capacity to produce lugworms in a controlled environment to ensure a supply of
lugworm haemoglobin — although they also point to a rigorous testing procedure before the
“The properties of extracellular hemoglobin extracted from the lugworm could help protect skin grafts, promote bone regeneration and
If this vision turns real, lugworm blood may also allow donor organs to live longer outside the bodies, potentially helping thousands of
And, one day, freeze-dried lugworm blood could be a crucial backup for standard blood