Helminthic therapy and neurodegenerative diseases

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Neurodegenerative disease is a result of the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, potentially leading ultimately to cell death.

Neurodegenerative diseases include Multiple sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease / motor neurone disease (MND) and Lou Gehrig's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies, Huntington's disease, Multiple system atrophy (MSA), Prion diseases.

Introduction[edit | edit source]

The potential for helminthic therapy to help in addressing neurodegenerative disease can be seen most strikingly in multiple sclerosis, which responds extremely well to the presence of helminths. See Helminthic therapy and multiple sclerosis (MS)

There are also indications that helminths may help in both treating and preventing Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer and dementia.

A 2019 review paper in the journal, Neuropsychiatry[1], suggested that helminthic therapy may have value in treating other neurodegenerative diseases.

Although the molecular mechanism of synaptic damage and neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease dementia (PD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is poorly understood and differ among different types of neurodegenerative processes, however, the presence of neuroinflammation is a common feature of all these dementia. In the advanced stage of neurodegenerative diseases of the late onset, both innate and adaptive immunity are key determinants of the progression of clinical symptoms of neurodegeneration. Therefore, it can be suggested that immunomodulation of chronic inflammation along with attenuation of humoral and cellular autoimmune reactions may be a universal strategy aimed at suppressing the progression of clinical symptoms and improving the current neuronal function in various neurodegenerative diseases. A promising direction for the development of symptomatic neurodegenerative therapy may be the use of immunomodulatory capabilities of our “old” friends” - parasitic worms and intestinal microflora. Both intestinal bacteria and parasitic worms have evolved together with the immune system of mammals for millennia and have become equisitely powerful immunomodulators, capable of altering and suppressing host immune responses, contributing to slow down excessive inflammatory and autoimmune responses. More recent studies also show that the interaction between intestinal parasites and intestinal microflora significantly changes their immunomodulatory capacity; microflora help helminths modulate host immunity. Presumably human lymphocytes after the ex vivo cultures in the presence of intestinal parasites and gut microbiota (“ménage à trois” system) will be more beneficial for the treatment of patients with dementia. Undoubtedly, many basic and preclinical studies must precede the development of procedures and recommendations for the treatment of late-onset neurodegeneration in humans with the help of parasitic worms and intestinal microflora. It seems, however, that this can be a very promising universal therapy, as the dysregulation of inflammatory and autoimmune reactions is significantly present in various neurodegenerative diseases.

Scientific papers[edit | edit source]

2025 Jun 3 An experimental study of the dual modulation of the colchicine-induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease by superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) and the soluble product of Dipylidium caninum adult worm -- Full text -- PDF

2023 Sep 12 Modulation of LPS-Induced Neurodegeneration by Intestinal Helminth Infection in Ageing Mice -- Full Text | PDF

2021 Oct 26 Parasites Lost: Helminths, Pleiotropy, and The Prevention of Dementia

2021 Oct 20 Parasite-Derived Excretory-Secretory Products Alleviate Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Improve Cognitive Impairment Induced by a High-Fat Diet -- Full text | PDF

2019 Parasitic Worms for the Treatment of Neurodegeneration -- PDF

We find that the outcome of H. polygyrus-dependent immunoregulation is different in healthy, control mice than in mice with existing LPS-induced inflammation. Infection with H. polygyrus protected control mice from some neurodegenerative changes in the brain and reduced depression symptoms, typical for ageing mice. In mice with LPS-induced inflammation and infected with the parasite, the neurodegenerative changes are accompanied by poorer scores of depression, and these were also present in genetically predisposed APPSWE mice.

2017 July 14 An Ancient Cure for Alzheimer’s? (Pagan Kennedy, New-York Times, Web archive copy.)

2017 Apr Apolipoprotein E4 is associated with improved cognitive function in Amazonian forager-horticulturalists with a high parasite burden -- Full text

We present evidence that the E4 allele, often associated with cognitive decline, AD, and CVD in industrialized populations with minimal parasite burden, was associated with higher cognitive function among Tsimane Amerindians, but only among individuals with evidence of high parasite burden.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)[edit | edit source]

Alzheimer's disease[edit | edit source]

See scientific papers

Dementia[edit | edit source]

There is one tentatively positive report of benefit in dementia.

I am currently helping someone with dementia. She has been taking NA for one year and whilst we have nothing remotely scientific, her doctors and her husband are pleased that she has not declined and may have some improvements. Early days. [4]

Parkinson's disease[edit | edit source]

There are four major independent lines of evidence suggesting that helminthic therapy may be effective in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

1. The role of the gut-brain connection in Parkinson’s disease is well-known and widely accepted.

2008 Jul Parkinson's disease and the gut: a well known clinical association in need of an effective cure and explanation

2. There is anecdotal evidence suggesting that helminths will halt the progression of Parkinson’s and even reverse many of its effects.

Overcoming Evolutionary Mismatch by Self-Treatment with Helminths: Current Practices and Experience (PDF)

While anecdotes are not widely accepted as strong evidence in modern medicine, it would seem reasonable to invoke the “parachute paradigm” on this issue: if, like a pilot who jumps from an aeroplane and deploys a parachute, the patient is rescued from an otherwise certain fate, and if the mechanism makes perfect sense, then the anecdote should surely be taken seriously.

3. The authors of research published in Nature, in June 2017, concluded that Parkinson’s disease is related to autoimmunity.

2017 Jun 29 T cells from patients with Parkinson’s disease recognize α-synuclein peptides

That there is a relationship between the disease and autoimmunity has been known for several years, but scientists have been slow to embrace the idea.

A study reported in 2018 showed that the use of immunosuppressant drugs may keep Parkinson's disease at bay, and may also slow progression of the disease if it develops.

2018 May 31 Drugs that suppress immune system may protect against Parkinson’s

Helminths can achieve similar beneficial effects to immunosuppressants without the longterm adverse side effects, and they are well known to be extremely effective in the treatment of a range of autoimmune conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that helminths may also prevent and treat Parkinson’s disease, as suggested by the following two reports.

They (pig whipworms - TSO) have a brilliant effect on dyskinesia and the need for drugs. It reduces the need for levadopa considerably. Watch the video

In the case of the patient using HDCs to treat Parkinson’s, the noncommercial supplier had the male user’s doctor contact one of the authors (WP) and confirm that the patient (a) had Parkinson’s, (b) was wheelchair-bound before helminthic therapy, and (c) was now mobile and able to travel without the aid of a wheelchair. [5]

NB. After the discovery in, 2017, that a molecule in the anthelmintic drug, niclosamide, might be able to protect against Parkinson’s disease-related neuronal damage, [6] it is possible that patients with this disease may be offered treatment with niclosamide.

Since this drug specifically targets tapeworms, in which it inhibits glucose uptake, oxidative phosphorylation and anaerobic metabolism, any patient taking niclosamide might not benefit from helminthic therapy using the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta (HDC).

4. Parkinson's symptoms can be corrected by acting on the microbiota

This paper in Nature, 2025 Apr 24 "Parkinson's gut-microbiota links raise treatment possibilities"

This article indicates that by restoring balance to the microbiota's bacterial profile with more short-chain fatty acids, may reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

The helminths are well known to increase the part of short-chain fatty acids bacterias into the gut microbiota.