Melbourne: Spit produced by a cancer-causing worm which damages the human liver can be used to treat non-healing wounds, a scientist has claimed. "It's not a high-tech performance, but it's a good story," said Queensland-based parasitologist Michael Smout from James Cook university.

He explained his latest study at a science competition by using a large teddy bear, an oversized worm and a velvet liver on how liver parasites cause cancer, and how they might also assist in the development of treatments for non-healing wounds. "Throughout Southeast Asia there's a very high rate of a particular form of liver cancer.