Helminthic Therapy

Helminthic therapy is the treatment of specific autoimmune and immune disorders by deliberately infesting a patient with helminths, which are parasitic roundworms. Diseases that are currently being treated and/or researched with helminthic therapy are type I diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, eczema, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), dermatitis, hay fever, and food allergies.

This page describes the following issues:

• History of Helminth Therapy
• Clinical Practice of Helminthic Therapy
• Producers and Distributors of Helminths and Helminthic Therapy Products
• How to Find a Helminthic Therapy Expert
• Related Topics, Links and References

History of Helminth Therapy

In the late 1980s, a popular theory arose entitled “The Hygiene Hypothesis” to explain why people living in developed countries have a high prevalence of atopic, or allergic, disorders. The theory was put forth by David P Strachan in the British Medical Journal after he studied hay fever in British children (Strachan, David. “Hay fever, hygiene, and household size.” British Medical Journal. 1989 Nov; 299 (6710):1259–60). Essentially, the Hygiene Hypothesis states that the human immune system is dependent upon exposure to a variety of organisms, in particular helminths, for proper development and functioning. The reason for this is believed to be that we co-evolved with these organisms, because they have almost always been present in our bodies. The recent and relatively rapid removal of these organisms from our bodies by modern medicine is now believed by many scientists to be a major factor in the malfunction of many people’s immune systems.

Helminthic therapy is just one step in restoring the natural environment in our bodies. The growing probiotic industry and the availability of natural yoghurts are other attempts to expose our bodies, once again, to the naturally occurring microflora that used to cohabit our gastrointestinal tract.

Clinical Practice of Helminthic Therapy

This section coming soon . . . .

Producers and Distributors of Helminths and Helminthic Therapy Products

Note: No helminthic therapy product has yet been reviewed or approved for medical use by FDA or any other regulatory agency. Helminthic therapy is still considered investigational.

That said, a few laboratories are producing helminths for medical research or other similar purposes. For up-to-date information about their work or status, you should contact them directly.

• Autoimmune Therapies

.

• InTAAI
  Jorge A. LLamas MD
  Paseo Ensenada # 1912
  Playas de Tijuana
  Mexico
  Ph.: (664) 6801484
  Cell: (664) 188 5533
  USA: (903) 742 8025
  dr_llamas @ hotmail.com (personal)

We will post contact information for other distributors, whenever we receive permission to do so. In the meantime, see the links below, or search the internet using the link at the left-bottom of this page.

How to Find a Helminthic Therapy Expert

We are in the process of assembling a searchable database of helminthic therapy experts. Anyone with interest, knowledge or experience with helminthic therapy is encouraged to contact the Foundation to help assemble and/or be included in this referral list.

Related Topics and References

Hanauer SB: Evolving Biologic Therapies for IBD
(Medscape Conference Coverage, based on selected sessions at the:
Digestive Disease Week 2004; May 15 - 20, 2004, New Orleans, Louisiana)

Diet of worms can cure bowel disease.

Porcine Whipworm Ova Safe for Treatment of IBD.

Abner SR, Hill DE, Turner JR, Black ED, Bartlett P, Urban JF Jr, Mansfield LS (2002) Response of intestinal epithelial cells to Trichuris suis excretory-secretory products and the influence on Campylobacter jejuni invasion under in vitro conditions. J Parasitol 88:738-745

Albonjco M, Stoltzfus RJ, Savioli L, Tielsch JM, Chwaya HM, Ercole E, Cancrini G (1998) Epidemiological evidence for a differential effect of hookworm species, Ancylostoma duodenale or Necator americanus, on iron status of children. Int J Epidemiol 27:530-537

Aoyama H, Hirata T, Sakugawa H, Watanabe T, Miyagi S, Maeshiro T, Chinen T, Kawane M, Zaha O, Nakayoshi T, Kinjo F, Fujita J (2007) An inverse relationship between autoimmune liver diseases and Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Am J Trop Med Hyg 76:972-976

Bee RJ (1976) The relationship between Trichuris trichiura (Linnaeus 1758) of man and Trichuris suis (Schrank 1788) of the pig. Res Vet Sci 20:47-54

Belizario VY, Amarillo ME, de Leon WU, de los Reyes AE, Bugayong MG, Macatangay BJ (2003) A comparison of the efficacy of single doses of albendazole, ivermectin, and diethylcarbamazine alone or in combinations against Ascaris and Trichuris spp. Bull World Health Organ 81:35-42

Cookson, W. O. C. M., and M. F. Moffatt. 1997. Asthma: an epidemic-in-the-absence-of infection? Science 275:41.

Correale J, Farez M (2007) Parasite infections modulate the immune response in multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol 61:97-108

Croese J, Speare R (2006) Intestinal allergy expels hookworms: seeing is believing. Trends in Parasitol 12:547-550

Croese J, O'neil J, Masson J, Cooke S, Melrose W, Pritchard D, Speare R (2006a) A proof of concept study establishing Necator americanus in Crohn's patients and reservoir donors. Gut 55:136-137

Croese J, Wood M, Melrose W, Speare R (2006b) Allergy controls the population density of Necator americanus in the small intestine. Gastroenterology 131:402-409

de Silva NR, Brooker S, Hotez PJ, Montresor A, Engels D, Savioli L (2003) Soil-transmitted helminth infections: updating the global picture. Trends Parasitol 19:547-551

Doetze, A., J. Satoguina, G. Burchard, T. Rau, C. Loliger, B. Fleischer, and A. Hoerauf. 2000. Antigen-specific cellular hyporesponsiveness in a chronic human helminth infection is mediated by Th3/Tr1-type cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor-Beta but not by a Th1 to Th2 shift. Int. Immunol. 12:623.

Elliott DE, Summers RW, Weinstock JV (2007) Helminths as governors of immune-mediated inflammation. Int J Parasitol 37:457-464

Fleming J, Fabry Z (2007) The hygiene hypothesis and multiple sclerosis. Ann Neurol 61:97-108

Fox, J. G., P. Beck, C. A. Dangler, M. T. Whary, T. C. Wang, H. N. Shi, and C. Nagler-Anderson. 2000. Concurrent enteric helminth infection modulates inflammation and gastric immune responses and reduces Helicobacter-induced gastric atrophy. Nat. Med. 6:536.

Hadley C (2004) Should auld acquaintance be forgot. EMBO Rep 5:1122-1124

Holgate ST, Lack G (2005) Improving the management of atopic disease. Archives of Disease in Childhood 90:826-831

Hotez PJ, Pritchard DI (1995) Hookworm infection. Sci Am 272:68-74

Hotez PJ, Brooker S, Bethony JM, Bottazzi ME, Loukas A, Xiao S (2004) Hookworm infection. New Eng J Med 351:799-807

Hsu S-J, Tseng P-H, Chen P-J (2005) Trichuris suis therapy for ulcerative colitis: nonresponsive patients may need anti-helminth therapy. Gastroenterology 129:768-769

Hunter & McKay: Helminths as therapeutic agents for inflammatory bowel disease. Aliment-Pharmacol-Ther. 2004 Jan 15; 19(2): 167-77.

Hunter M, Wang A, McKay D (2007) Helminth infection enhances disease in a murine TH2 model of colitis. Gastroenterology 132:1320-1330

Jacobson DL, Gange SJ, Rose NR, Graham NM (1997) Epidemiology and estimated population burden of selected autoimmune diseases in the United States. Clin Immunol Immunopath 84:223-243

Joven J, Hotez PJ, Brooker S, Bethany J (2005) Hookworm infection. New Eng J Med 352:205

Lynch, N. R., I. Hagel, M. Perez, M. C. D. Prisco, R. Lopez, and N. Alvarez. 1993. Effect of anti-helminthic treatment on the allergic reactivity of children in a tropical slum. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 92:404.

Magen E, Borkow G, Bentwich Z, Mishal J, Scharf S (2005) Can worms defend our hearts? Chronic helminthic infections may attenuate the development of cardiovascular diseases. Med Hypoth 64:904-909

Mansfield LS, Gauthier DT, Abner SA, Jones KM, Wilder SR, Urban JF (2003) Enhancement of disease and pathology by synergy of Trichuris suis and Campylobacter jejuni in the colon of immunologically naïve swine. Am J Trop Med Hyg 68:70-80
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Mortimer K, Brown A, Feary J, Jagger C, Lewis S, Antoniak M, Pritchard D, Britton J (2006) Dose-ranging study for trials of therapeutic infection with Necator americanus in humans. Am J Trop Med Hyg 75:914-920

Radford-Smith GL (2005) Will worms really cure Crohn's disease? Treatment of Crohn's disease patients with the intestinal helminth Trichuris suis appears safe and effective in the short term, even with concurrent immunosuppressive therapy. Gut 54:6-8

Reddy A, Fried B (2007) The use of Trichuris suis and other helminth therapies to treat Crohn's disease. Parasitol Research 100:921-927

Reddy A, Fried B (2008) Atopic disorders and parasitic infections. Adv Parasitol 66:149-191

Rook GA, Adams V, Hunt J, Palmer R, Martinelli R, Brunet LR (2004) Mycobacteria and other environmental organisms as immunomodulators for immunoregulatory disorders. Springer Seminar Immunopathol 25:237-255

Shi, H. N., C. J. Ingui, I. Dodge, and C. Nagler-Anderson. 1998. A helminth-induced mucosal Th2 response alters non-responsiveness to oral administration of a soluble antigen. J. Immunol. 160:2449.

Shoenfeld Y, Harats D, Wick G (2001) Atherosclerosis and autoimmunity. Elsevier, UK, pp 1-396

Stoltzfus RJ, Dreyfuss ML, Chwaya HM, Albonico M (1997) Hookworm control as a strategy to prevent iron deficiency. Nutr Rev 55:223-232

Strachan, D. P. 1989. Hay fever, hygiene and household size. (The Hygiene Hypothesis) Br. Med. J. 299: 1259.

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Summers RW, Elliott DE, Weinstock JV (2005b) Is there a role for helminths in the therapy of inflammatory bowel disease. Nature Clinical Prac Gastroent Hepatol 2:62-63

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Links & News Stories

International Biotherapy Society

Hanauer SB: Evolving Biologic Therapies for IBD
(Medscape Conference Coverage, based on selected sessions at the:
Digestive Disease Week 2004; May 15 - 20, 2004, New Orleans, Louisiana)

Diet of worms can cure bowel disease.

Yahoo group devoted to users of helminthic therapy (worm therapy).

Porcine Whipworm Ova Safe for Treatment of IBD

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2009/07/22/are-hookworms-the-next-claritin/

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AllergiesNews/story?id=8114307&page=1