It was very unexpected, says Martin Hjort, a researcher in chemical biology and drug development at Lund University.
The test was conducted on human skin models of the same type that cosmetic companies use to test makeup. When signaling molecules extracted from the flatworms were applied to perforated skin, wound healing was accelerated.
The flatworms, which are only five millimeters long, can multiply by dividing.
A worm can divide 200 times, creating 200 new worms, explains Martin Hjort.
The study was initiated after contact with a Korean skincare company. The company plans to develop a cream based on exosomes, small packages of signaling molecules from flatworms.
