The treatment of autoimmune diseases (AD) continues to be a serious problem for modern immunology. Existing methods do not guarantee full recovery, and even do not always allow to successfully monitor the patient’s condition, which encourages doctors to look for new and more effective ways of immunotherapy.
One of the experimental, but rather promising areas of AD treatment is helminth therapy — the deliberate infection of the patient’s body with parasitic worms (helminths) in order to correct the immune system. In this article, we will cover in detail what this type of therapy is and whether it will be a salvation for patients with AD.
1. Is it Dangerous to Infect an Ill Person with Worms?
Over the past couple of decades, parasitology has made a significant breakthrough by developing drugs effective against helminths that previously could be removed only surgically. For example, in the last century wuchereriosis (infection with Wuchereria bancrofti filariae) was perceived almost as a sentence of lifelong disability due to developing lymphostasis. Today, you can freely buy stromectol for humans and say goodbye to this disease within a few days.
In other words, the infection of the patient with helminths is not irreversible — which, in fact, made it possible to consider certain parasites as an actual cure.
In addition, it should be mentioned that most helminths are aimed at long—term residence in the body of the host, but not at killing it in any way – which would inevitably lead to the death of the parasites themselves. This feature of helminths’ vital activity determines the controlled nature of their reproduction (unlike pathogenic viruses) and the relatively moderate harm caused in the medium term to internal organs and metabolic processes.
2. How Exactly Are Parasites Used to Treat AD?
Once in the human body, some types of helminths secrete a special secretory fluid containing specific amino acid compounds that inhibit the immune system — that is, they do what patients with AD need.
It should be noted that the described mechanism is just a working hypothesis and is at the stage of clinical research.
3. What is the Advantage of Helminthic Therapy AD?
The organic origin of the parasitic secretion significantly reduces the risk of side effects, as it happens with immunosuppressant treatment.
In addition, helminths themselves control the daily volume of their own secret, since, as mentioned above, they do not intend to specifically kill their host.
4. What Diseases Do Helminths Help Treat?
To date, the effectiveness of treatment with helminths of lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease (gluten intolerance), asthma, type I diabetes mellitus, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis is being studied.
Stay Informed
Remember that helminthic therapy refers to experimental types of treatment and can only be carried out under strict supervision of a doctor. Independent infection with parasites is unacceptable under any circumstances!
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