• Helminthic Therapy



    Helminthic Therapy is the use of hookworm, whipworm or other helminths (parasitic worms) to modulate the immune system. It is an experimental therapy that has not been approved by any governmental body for the treatment or prevention of disease.

    Medical authorities of many countries have however, approved research that has yielded very promising results in the treatment of autoimmune diseases with helminths. Successful studies have encouraged further research, and the field appears to be gaining ground quickly.

    Helminthic therapy has emerged as one possible explanation for the low incidence of autoimmune diseases and allergies in those in less developed countries, together with the significant and sustained increase in autoimmune diseases in industrialized countries.

    Current research in helminthic therapy is targeted at, or available for, the treatment of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma, eczema, dermatitis, hay fever and food allergies.

    For therapeutic agents who carry out the helminthic therapy, they must ensure that the specific helminth meets all the following minimum requirements:

    should not have the potential to cause disease in man at therapeutic doses
    should not be able to reproduce in a host, thus allowing control of dose
    should not be a potential vector for other parasites, viruses, or bacteria
    should not be easily transmissible from the host to other people
    should be compatible with a patient’s existing medication
    should have a significant period of residence in the host
    must be easily eradicated from the host, if required

    Two therapeutic helminths used in helminthic therapy are Necator americanus (hookworm) and Trichuris suis (human whipworm) ova meet these requirements. Neither is known to cause any specific disease in man, although allergic reactions have been reported with T. suis, and anemia has been reported in individuals hosting very large numbers of N.americanus.

    The species of hookworm used therapeutically, takes on average 0.03 ml (less than one drop) of blood per day from the host, so anemia is only observed in malnourished individuals with very large numbers of hookworms; this scenario has traditionally been a problem with children and some adults in developing countries. Neither helminth is known to be a vector for the infection of the host with other parasites, viruses or bacterium.

    In addition, neither helminth reproduces in the host; in both cases, the reproductive cycle requires a period outside the host, with both worms requiring several weeks’ incubation in moist soil. As a result, the therapeutic dose can be tightly controlled. The complexity of both helminths’ life cycles also means that cross-infestation, even with people living in very close proximity to the host, is highly improbable.

    The main difference between N. americanus and T. suis is residency time: T. suis has a lifespan of only 2–3 weeks in humans, while N. americanus has an average life span of 5 years. Frequency of dose corresponds directly to lifespan.

    Both helminths have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects when used in conjunction with existing (conventional) therapies. If eradication of helminths from the host is required at any point, both respond to either albendazole or mebendazole.