Humble worms, usually used as fish bait, could save millions of lives, say a North-East scientist.

Newcastle University professor Peter Olive has found a way to use blood harvested from marine worms to combat illnesses in humans.

He believes the research will revolutionise treatments for cancer, stroke victims and severe trauma injuries.  Lugworm blood has been found to be capable of holding 150 times more oxygen than human blood.

Prof Olive said the process involves flooding healthy tissue cells with oxygen and has already been shown to combat cancer in trials on mice.

“Nature has given us a solution to one of the great quests in the world of science and medicine.  This could literally save millions of patients.”

“A humble lugworm, usually used as fish bait, could hold the key to saving millions of lives.

Scientists in the North-East have discovered a way to use blood harvested from the worms in humans.

And the research project, backed by money from Buckingham Palace, is set to revolutionise the medical industry.

It is anticipated that as early as 2009, worm blood will be used to treat cancer patients, stroke victims and survivors of severe trauma injuries like those suffered in car crashes.

The marine worm blood, capable of holding 150 times more oxygen than human blood, will also be used to help keep organs being transported for transplant healthier for longer.

Thousands of lugworms, usually used for sea fishing, will be farmed at Ashington-based company Seabait when the synthetic blood starts to be manufactured.

Professor Peter Olive, of Newcastle University’s Marine Science and Technology faculty, is leading the research in partnership with French company Hemarina.

Yesterday he said the treatment would reach a Holy Grail in medical science – a means of flooding body tissue with oxygen under life or death conditions.

Because the worms live in sand, their bodies have been forced to adapt to lack of oxygen by maximising what little there is.

The haemoglobin in their blood has 156 oxygen-binding sites, whereas human haemoglobin has only four.

Profession Olive said:  “Nature has given us a solution to one of the great quests in the world of science and medicine.  This could literally save millions of patients.”

He said the process had been shown to help treat cancer by flooding healthier cells with oxygen in trials on mice.  It could be used in stroke victims to get oxygen to the brain, and in transplant surgery in the transportation of an organ and guarding against rejection by the patient.

“Blood transfusion is by nature a difficult process because blood is a complex material of red and white cells and platelets,” explained Professor Olive.  “There is also a worldwide blood shortage for treatment and some people are worried about getting blood because of the risk of disease.  So the search has been on for a way to deliver oxygen to tissue by finding a compound that can be dissolved in water – and the lugworm has provided us with the answer.”

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