Monday, September 29, 2014

Can Hookworm Cure Celiac Disease?

For those of us suffering from digestive issues such as Celiac disease, colitis and Crohns disease, and leaky gut, we are always hoping for new medical breakthroughs .The question is how far are we willing to go to try a new "cure". 

Twelve people in Australia were willing to go very far to help in the search for answers to Celiac Disease.  They allowed researchers from John's Cook University to be "experimentally infected with 20 Necator americanus (hookworm) larvae."  You read that right, Hookworm!
Surprisingly, the experiment appears to have been successful. 

Hookworm (see photo credit below)


On September 25, 2014, Science Daily published an article,  Celiac disease: A wriggly solution to an inflammatory condition.
Summary:

 "Groundbreaking results were achieved in a clinical trial using hookworms to reduce the symptoms of celiac disease. The results are good news for sufferers of other inflammatory conditions such as asthma and Crohn's disease. In the small trial run over a year, 12 participants were each experimentally infected with 20 Necator americanus (hookworm) larvae. They were then given gradually increasing doses of gluten, with their daily dose in the final stage being equivalent to a medium-sized bowl of spaghetti."
The results as stated in the article: 
 "The potential of helminths (parasitic worms) in treating inflammatory diseases lies in their ability to dial back the human immune response -- a skill that enables them to survive, and thrive, in the human gut, without compromising their host's ability to fight off other infectious diseases."
 " A collaboration between JCU scientists in Cairns and gastroenterologist Dr John Croese at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, this study investigated the mechanism by which hookworms reduce the inflammatory response. "In gut biopsies collected before, during and at the end of the trial, we identified specific cells of the immune system, known as T cells, that we suspected were targeted by hookworm proteins," Dr Giacomin said. "We found that over the duration of the trial the T cells within the intestine changed from being pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory."
So, if I understand this article and the others I read about this topic, then my question is what about the medical complications from having hookworm disease. 

According to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease, (NIH)  hookworms is no longer a major disease in the United States and other developed countries because the living conditions are excellent. Conversely, hookworm effects over 600 million people in the world, mainly in undeveloped countries. 
Hookworm lives in the small intestine. Hookworm can cause gastrointestinal issues. It can also create blood loss causing anemia and possible protein loss. 

What are you willing to do,in order to feel better? 
References:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140925100929.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3174943/
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/hookworm/pages/default.aspx



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