http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57492/#ixzz0r7JuTFKP

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/?id=5841

From the articles:

“A new class of organisms may be cutting in on the classic, co-evolutionary, immune system-boosting tango between mammals and the beneficial bacteria that inhabit their guts: parasitic worms.”

Trichuris muris eggs with Escherichia coli Image courtesy of Kelly Hayes, University of Manchester

“Importantly, the work also showed that the presence of worms and bacteria altered the immune responses in a way that is likely to protect ourselves, the bacteria and the worms.

Intestinal roundworm parasites are one of the most common types of infection worldwide, although in humans increased hygiene has reduced infection in many countries. High level infections by these parasites can cause disease, but the natural situation is the presence of relatively low levels of infection. The team’s work suggests that in addition to bacterial microflora, the natural state of affairs of our intestines may well be the presence of larger organisms, the parasitic roundworms, and that complex and subtle interactions between these different types of organism have evolved to provide an efficient and beneficial ecosystem for all concerned.

Professor Roberts says: “The host uses its immune system to regulate the damage caused by the bacteria and the worms. If the pathogens are missing, the immune system may not give the right response.”

Professor Grencis adds: “The gut and its inhabitants should be considered a complex ecosystem, not only involving bacteria but also parasites, not just sitting together but interacting.”

“The hope is that the work could aid the development of new treatments which work in the same way as gut parasites, by dampening down or rebalancing the immune system so that the body does not respond to allergens and trigger asthma attacks.”

“Here, the view is presented that assessment of the immunophysiological response to helminths could identify that infection with specific parasites would be therapeutically useful (although many helminths could not fulfil this role) and lead to precise knowledge of the immune events following infection, to identify ways to intervene in disease processes (in the absence of infection per se) that can be used to treat, and eventually cure, inflammatory and autoimmune disease.”

Dr. Joel Weinstock, one of the leaders in helminth therapy, criticizes operations like AIT for going ahead and giving out helminths before the research comes in:

“It is a legitimate field, but it’s been bootlegged,” said Dr. Joel Weinstock, a professor of medicine at Tufts University who’s studied parasitic treatment and is working to test the therapy. “The question is, what are you actually buying [from these companies]?”

(A face only a mother could love.)

“Parasitic gut worms, such as hookworm, might aid the development of new treatments for asthma and other allergies, a study in Vietnam suggests.

Infection with hookworm and other parasitic worms is endemic in Vietnam, but rates of asthma and other allergies are low.

British and Vietnamese scientists gave local children treatment to clear their body of worms.

They found this led to an increase in dust mite allergy among the children.”

This news report goes into greater detail:

“Dr Flohr has examined the links between worms and allergic diseases in Vietnamese children and found that those with the highest level of hookworm infestation were the least likely to have an allergic response to house dust mites.

These findings support the hypothesis that gastrointestinal infection with either hookworms or other micro-organisms protects against allergy and add further weight to the so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’.”

Interesting that the highest level of hookworm infection had the greatest benefit. Clearly, dose matters.

I think I need more worms.

http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2009/09/07/parasites/

First, they start with Carl Zimmer, a parasitologist who talks about amazing interactions between parasites and hosts.  Then they discuss the hookworm eradication project, where it was found that the South was suffering from anemia, not laziness, and outhouses changed the course of history.  Then, an interview with Jasper Lawrence and his forays into Africa and how he started AIT (why do they never talk about how he got Necator Americanus?) And finally, a pice about toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that comes from cat feces that might influence  human behavior.  We are not all that we think we are.  We are being controlled by our bacteria and parasites as we speak.  Mhwah-ha-ha!

“Sironi and Fumagalli’s data suggest that our immune systems have co-evolved with parasitic worms—living alongside helminthes for millions of years has shaped the way our immune systems react to pathogens, through a greater genetic diversity in our immune-related genes. In turn, helminthes have evolved the ability to mitigate the human immune response to their own advantage, as many worms need their human host healthy in order to propagate and survive.

Fumagalli’s research group then analyzed five interleukin genes, which encode for proteins involved in mediating the immune system’s response to disease. These genes have evolved to deal with a variety of different pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and worms.

“These genes are very involved with many autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s and multiple sclerosis,” Cooke says. “And these genes have evolved to deal with a lot of diverse pathogens.  But when you take someone out of the environment where there is that diversity, all those different pathogens, it may result in an imbalance: an overactive response to pathogens and, ultimately, autoimmune disease.”

The work provides evidence that the human immune system likely co-evolved with helminthes.”

The proof is in the (fact that I can now eat) pudding.

http://cbs5.com/health/hookworm.treatment.therapy.2.1015341.html

You can also view the video in their video library:

http://cbs5.com/video/?cid=119 Click on May 20th’s “Some Turn to Hookworms to Treat Ailments.”

And the Crohn’s one on hookworms:

http://cbs5.com/health/hookworm.treatment.therapy.2.1016319.html

You can also view it with a larger screen in the video library:

http://cbs5.com/video/?cid=119 Click on May 21st’s “Patients on Hookworm Therapy Swear by Treatment”

The opening is unfortunate. When we need to promote the idea of the hygiene hypothesis, and the fact that we are a walking microbiomes, the choice to sensationalize “eating worms” is disappointing. I didn’t eat 6 dirty earthworms, for God’s sakes. Hopefully the general public will be interested and not just further disgusted. Enjoy!

Rook GAW; Review series on helminths, immune modulation and the hygiene hypothesis: The broader implications of the hygiene hypothesis. Immunology Volume 126 Issue 1, Pages 3-11. December 8 2008

Cooke A; Review series on helminths, immune modulation and the hygiene hypothesis: How might infection modulate the onset of type 1 diabetes? Immunology Volume 126 Issue 1, Pages 12-17. December 8 2008

Jackson JA, Friberg IM, Little S, Bradley JE: Review series on helminths, immune modulation and the hygiene hypothesis: Immunity against helminths and immunological phenomena in modern human populations: coevolutionary legacies? Immunology Volume 126 Issue 1, Pages 18-27. December 8 2008

Professor Anne Cooke: “It will allow you to identify pathways of disease and allow you to modify them with small molecules, not the whole worm.”

“Before I would even consider treating a child with type 1 diabetes I would have to be sure it was safe and understand the mechanisms underlying it.

“We are talking about using fractions not the whole parasite.”

What they don’t recognize is that in the meantime, there are desperate patients like me, absolutely willing to try worms to alleviate our diseases. Especially as the choices we have are so dangerous – a small colony of hookworms or whipworms that only cause transient side effects (and this is written by the side effect queen), or Tysrabi, with a 1 in 1000 chance of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy? If I were a parent of a child with type 1 Diabetes, or Crohn’s, I would absolutely jump at the chance of trying a light hookworm infection rather than the alternative. How many decades until Professor Cooke and others figure out those fractions of parasites? I would lose another piece of my intestines.

We want worms now.

“Studies (Weinstock) has conducted with Dr. David Elliott, a gastroenterologist and immunologist at the University of Iowa, indicate that intestinal worms, which have been all but eliminated in developed countries, are “likely to be the biggest player” in regulating the immune system to respond appropriately, Dr. Elliott said in an interview. He added that bacterial and viral infections seem to influence the immune system in the same way, but not as forcefully.

Most worms are harmless, especially in well-nourished people, Dr. Weinstock said.

“There are very few diseases that people get from worms,” he said. “Humans have adapted to the presence of most of them.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18328783

I just read the abstract, but basically it’s linking depression and
anxiety to our modern lifestyle. Is it just me, or are most of your
relatives on anti-depressants? My whole family needs worms!

I’m not surprised that in the inflammatory reaction period to
hookworm, some of us are getting depression. And then, some of us are
having moments of calm, elation, or just a lifting of a heavy burden
of dread. I’m so curious to see if my mental state changes radically
once I’m in remission. My husband is finding me much more humorous
lately. Perhaps since I am no longer living in fear of impending
death? Or its the hookworms; it’s hard to tell.

Amazing how the absence of microbes can cause so much
misery. I’m going out to the garden now to raise my spirits. It
seems that getting your hands in the dirt, literally, can cure depression;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article1596735.ece

Worms, dirt, a pet pig (prevents Crohn’s as long as you don’t give
antibotic feed, then you’re more likely to get asthma). We’re getting chickens this
Thursday; I wonder what protection they’ll bring? At the very least, some good eggs.