Topic: Helminth therapy for uses other than autoimmunity?
TNT
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 42349
posted
Does anyone know of more uses than this for helminth therapy? I have heard it used for ulcerative colitis and in the treatment of autism, but that's it.
My previous doc had mentioned this as a suggestion for parasite treatment (no joke). And since then I have thought some about how that would work. Still can't figure it out except that the non-pathogenic parasites could perhaps help with keeping the pathogenic ones in check.
I know I was not nearly as chronically debilitated until I took antiparasiticals. Others have attested to getting debilitated after taking antiparasiticals.
Could there be a connection? Could the parasites have actually been helping us? I don't know. Seems they are protective at times.
Posts: 1308 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Oct 2013
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Helminth therapy shifts the immune system balance to Th2. Th1 is therefore reduced. Th1 is associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines, whereas Th2 is associated with anti-inflammatory cytokines.
So helminth therapy could help reduce inflammation. In that light it seems logical that removing these extracellular parasites causes more of a Th1 shift, resulting in more (chronic) inflammation.
Posts: 381 | From The Netherlands | Registered: Nov 2013
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TNT
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 42349
posted
Good explanation, S13.
So I wonder if it would be beneficial in typical lyme cases?
Posts: 1308 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Oct 2013
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did not know about helminth therapy- just googled it and looks pretty cool.
based on stuff I've been reading and researching I recently ordered "diatomaceous earth" (a natural de-wormer) and was planning to see if that might help my kid's autoimmune/JRA issues. I've read various testimonials that the diatomaceous can, among other things, help reduce 'autoimmune' stuff.
Maybe it's a matter of first ridding bad parasites and later supplementing with the 'good' ones like Trichuris SuisPosts: 655 | From USA | Registered: Sep 2007
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For some it could be beneficial i suppose. But only for those who are Th1 dominant in the first place. With lyme and co it can go both ways.
Too much Th1 inflammation is bad, very bad. But too much Th2 is also bad (causes overproduction of antibodies against everything, think: allergies). Finding a good balance can be difficult. To fight the intracellular infections you need adequate Th1, so suppressing with helminth therapy may backfire in some cases.
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