Helminthic therapy research

    From Helminthic Therapy wiki

    This page lists over 1,000 papers and reports of scientific studies relating to helminthic therapy and closely associated topics such as the Hygiene Hypothesis, the Old Friends' Hypothesis, Evolutionary Mismatch Theory and Biome Depletion Theory / Biota Alteration Theory.

    There are four organisms being used currently in helminthic therapy.

    Some of the reports and papers listed below have focussed on the effects of other species of helminth, or molecules derived from them, but all are nevertheless valuable for the insights they provide about the therapeutic and prophylactic effects of helminths.

    What researchers say about helminthic therapy

    The following quotes illustrate the thinking among researchers who have investigated the therapeutic use of living helminths.

    Quotein.gif
    Although some helminths are known to cause disease and have been labeled parasites, it is now clear that some exposure to this class of organisms is necessary for human health. (Bono-Lunn et al) [1]
    Quotein.gif
    The results strongly support previous indications that helminth therapy can effectively treat a wide range of allergies, autoimmune conditions and neuropsychiatric disorders. (Liu et al) [2]
    Quotein.gif
    What was a costly and sometimes risky venture into the unknown, undertaken by only a few 10 years ago, is rapidly becoming a readily available and well-established resource currently used by thousands of individuals. (Cheng et al, 2015) (PDF)
    Quotein.gif
    Although self-treatment with helminths cannot be recommended by medical professionals due to a lack of blinded, placebo controlled trials, neither should it be discouraged since the available evidence suggests that it is beneficial in most cases when practiced by knowledgeable individuals. (Parker and Morey) [3]
    Quotein.gif
    In developed countries, where we are well nourished, worms are potentially good. If I had Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or multiple sclerosis, I would infect myself without hesitation. (Prof Alex Loukas, Australian Institute of Tropical Health & Medicine) [4]
    Quotein.gif
    Some patients with milder disease or more inclined for natural treatments may consider this as an option. (Prof Constantinescu, Nottingham University, commenting about Multiple Sclerosis.) [5]
    Quotein.gif
    All immunocompetent humans need regular exposure to helminths in order to maintain optimal immune function and avoid risk for inflammation-associated disease… access to helminths is a basic human need. (Smyth et al) [6]
    Quotein.gif
    We need to embrace the view that helminths are a necessary component of the ecosystem of a healthy body, and that helminths should be cultivated for population-wide biota restoration. (Villeneuve et al) [7]
    Quotein.gif
    Biome reconstitution… holds a promise for exposure of all individuals to naturally occurring organisms or selected variants of those organisms in a way that is required for human health. Such exposure must be considered a fundamental human right worthy of government support rather than an option for pharmaceutical development. (Parker and Ollerton) [8]
    Quotein.gif
    In some not too distant futurity, there may come a day when we all take ‘helminth supplements’ along with our Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins, and whatever else goes to make up a modern balanced diet. (Zaccone et al) [9]
    Quotein.gif
    Twenty years from now everybody is going to have a helminth, and no insurance company will begin to cover you if you don’t have your helminths. We’re very confident in the science, that every single human being needs a helminth. It’s part of our biology. (Prof William Parker) [10]

    Reading packet

    These selected papers provide a good overview of the potential of helminthic therapy and would be suitable resources to include in a reading packet to be given to a doctor or other medical professional, or to someone who is unaware of the evidence and rationale for helminthic therapy. The first three papers provide validation for the practice of self-treatment with helminths.

    Tips for searching the list of papers and articles

    Symbols used in the list of documents:

    • ✅ - A key paper/report in the development of the therapeutic use of helminths
    • ⚡ - A good place to start if you are new to helminthic therapy, or if you are looking for resources that would help someone else to understand the therapy.

    If you are interested in helminthic therapy in relation to a particular medical condition, use your device’s search function (the 'Command' and 'F' keys on a desktop or laptop, or 'Find in page' in the drop-down menu from the three dots icon on a mobile) to locate the items that are relevant to that disease. Several conditions will require the use of more than one search term, for example:

    • Allergies - search for “allerg”, “atopy” and “anaphylaxis”
    • Anemia - search for “anemia” and “anaemia”
    • Arthritis - search for ”arthrit” and “joint”
    • Asthma - search for “asthma”, “airway” and “wheeze”
    • Autism - search for “autism” and “ASD”
    • Celiac disease - search for “celiac” and “coeliac”
    • Crohn’s disease - search for “Crohn”, “bowel” and “IBD”
    • Diabetes - search for “diabet”, “insulin”, “glucose” and “metabolic”
    • Heart disease - search for “cardio” and “atherosclerosis”
    • Inflammation - search for “inflam”
    • Leaky gut - search for “barrier”
    • Multiple sclerosis - search for “multiple sclerosis” rather than “MS”
    • Obesity - search for “obes” and “adipose”
    • Pregnancy - search for “preg” and “mater”
    • Ulcerative colitis - search for “colitis”, “bowel” and “IBD”

    Obtaining copies of scientific papers

    Unless otherwise stated, the main links presented below are to PubMed abstracts, with additional links being provided to any full text and PDF copies that were available at the time these were added to our list. (Some full text copies are embargoed for a period of time by their publishers.)

    Where full text copies are not available from PubMed, they might be available from ResearchGate, and many papers can also usually be obtained instantly, free of charge, from Sci-Hub. The availability of this pirate domain fluctuates as a result of continuing legal action by publishers, [11] but its founder, Alexandra Elbakyan, constantly provides new site links, the latest of which can usually be found on the Sci-Hub Wikipedia page. (See "URL" in the text box under the black bird.)

    Recently active Sci-Hub links include the following.

    https://sci-hub.ru
    https://sci-hub.st
    https://sci-hub.se
    https://sci-hub.sidesgame.com
    https://sci-hub.shop

    If you find that Sci-Hub is blocked in your area, try accessing it using a virtual private network (VPN). There should always be several countries that allow access to Sci-Hub's website.

    To get a paper from Sci-Hub, copy/paste the title, or preferably the DOI number, of the paper you want into Sci-Hub’s search box. Then hit Return.

    If the paper you want is not yet available from Sci-Hub, you will be able to get it free of charge from the Facebook group, Get Your Papers, or from the Mutual Aid-Science Community.

    Problems with clinical trials using live helminths[edit | edit source]

    There have been significant issues with the design of some of the clinical trials conducted to assess the therapeutic efficacy of live helminths, particularly more than a dozen studies, the results of which were published between 2011 and 2022. This casts doubt on the reliability of the conclusions drawn by the authors of these papers. For more detail, see the following.

    Research papers & articles[edit | edit source]

    This list is not exhaustive. The articles included were identified at different times by different editors using different methods.

    There are further pages presenting different article selections, all the contents of which are also listed by year, below.

    2025[edit | edit source]

    2024[edit | edit source]

    2023[edit | edit source]

    2022[edit | edit source]

    2021[edit | edit source]

    • 2021 Dec Treatment of Refractory Chronic Migraine with Worm Eggs: A Therapy Rooted in Evolution (no abstract) | PDF (TSO)

    2020[edit | edit source]

    • ✅ 2020 Jun 15 Hookworm Treatment for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Trial -- Full text. Editorial from Jama Neurology : Keep the Worms in the Mud. (While the primary statistical endpoint of this trial - the cumulative number of new/enlarging T2 and new enhancing T1 lesions at month 9 - was not significantly different between the hookworm group (154) and the placebo group (164), a closer examination of the data reveals that more than half the patients given hookworms did not have any new lesions. “The findings of the research… show that infecting MS patients with a safe dose of… Necator americanus induces immunoregulatory responses and boosts the number of cells which help keep the immune system under control.” [20] The trial’s lead researcher concluded, “I think there would be a niche for this approach - for individuals with mild disease who don't want to take immunomodulating drugs for life and would prefer a more natural approach.” [21])

    2019[edit | edit source]

    2018[edit | edit source]

    2017[edit | edit source]

    2016[edit | edit source]

    2015[edit | edit source]

    2014[edit | edit source]

    2013[edit | edit source]

    2012[edit | edit source]

    2011[edit | edit source]

    2010[edit | edit source]

    2009[edit | edit source]

    2008[edit | edit source]

    2007[edit | edit source]

    2006[edit | edit source]

    2005[edit | edit source]

    2004[edit | edit source]

    2003[edit | edit source]

    2002[edit | edit source]

    2001[edit | edit source]

    2000[edit | edit source]

    1999[edit | edit source]

    1998[edit | edit source]

    1997[edit | edit source]

    1996[edit | edit source]

    1995[edit | edit source]

    1993[edit | edit source]

    1992[edit | edit source]

    1991[edit | edit source]

    1989[edit | edit source]

    1987[edit | edit source]

    1985[edit | edit source]

    1982[edit | edit source]

    1979[edit | edit source]

    1978[edit | edit source]

    1976[edit | edit source]

    1970[edit | edit source]

    • 1970 (winter) The biology of the atopic response Twelve naval officers suffering from hay-fever “for some years” were free from hay-fever for an average of 2 years following colonisation with the large roundworm, Ascaris lumbricoides.

    1968[edit | edit source]

    1948[edit | edit source]

    1932[edit | edit source]

    Papers published in high impact factor journals[edit | edit source]

    This is a selection of articles published in high impact factor journals. Each journal's impact factor value is shown in parentheses immediately after the journal's name.

    Inclusion in this list in no way means that these particular articles are better than others. The list is also not exhaustive and requires further development.

    • Douglas B, Oyesola O, Cooper MM, Posey A, Tait Wojno E, Giacomin PR, Herbert DR. Immune System Investigation Using Parasitic Helminths. Annu Rev Immunol (67.7). 2021 Apr 26;39:639-665. doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-093019-122827. Epub 2021 Mar 1. PMID: 33646858; PMCID: PMC8162934.
    • Loukas A, Hotez PJ, Diemert D, Yazdanbakhsh M, McCarthy JS, Correa-Oliveira R, Croese J, Bethony JM. Hookworm infection. Nat Rev Dis Primers (76.9). 2016 Dec 8;2:16088. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.88. PMID: 27929101.
    • Savage N. Q&A: Joel Weinstock. Nature (50.2). 2016 Dec 21;540(7634):S103. doi: 10.1038/540S103a. PMID: 28002396.

    Further reading[edit | edit source]

    Many other pages contain further research papers and articles relevant to their title's subject, for example the following.

    The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

    The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

    A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    the human hookworm, Necator americanus

    A helminth with a tapering whiplike body that lives in the colon. In helminthic therapy, the microscopic eggs of either the human Trichuris trichiura (TTO) or pig Trichuris suis (TSO) are taken in a drink.

    the ova (eggs) of the human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura

    the ova (eggs) of the porcine (pig) whipworm, Trichuris suis

    A helminth with a flat, ribbon-like, segmented body. Only the murine (rat) tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, is used in helminthic therapy and this generally does not reach adulthood in humans so requires regular dosing of HDC.

    Hymenolepis diminuta cysticercoids (Hi-men-o-lep'is dim-a-nu-ta sis-ti-sur-koid) - the larval cysts of the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta

    An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

    An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

    An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.)

    The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

    Medication or treatment of one's own disease or condition without medical assistance.

    Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which specifically affects the large intestine, or colon, causing characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset.

    An alternative term for helminthic therapy taken from a seminal publication by Prof William Parker [42] and used as the title of a citizen science Facebook group for discussion of issues relating to the epidemic of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases afflicting humans in the late 20th and 21st centuries. [43]

    Autism spectrum disorder.

    Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of conditions affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, particularly the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC).

    Multiple sclerosis (also known as disseminated sclerosis) is a chronic, typically progressive disease involving damage to the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, whose symptoms may include numbness, impairment of speech and of muscular coordination, blurred vision and severe fatigue.

    Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which specifically affects the large intestine, or colon, causing characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset.

    the ability to produce a desired or intended result.

    Symbiosis is a close, long-term relationship between organisms of different species. Helminths are obligatory symbionts because they depend entirely on their host for survival, and they are also ectosymbionts because they live on their host’s body surface, albeit the inner surface of the digestive tract. The species used in helminthic therapy are also mutualists.

    Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship between individuals of different species where each organism benefits from the other.

    An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.)

    An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

    An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

    A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    The species of human hookworm used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

    The specific population of microorganisms living in a certain part of the body, such as the gut. "Microbiome" refers to all the microorganisms living in and on the body, or the genome of these microorganisms. These two terms are often used interchangeably.

    a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.

    Irritable bowel syndrome is a widespread condition involving recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhoea or constipation. Wikipedia:Irritable Bowel Syndrome

    A microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease or fermentation.

    Symbiosis is a close, long-term relationship between organisms of different species. Helminths are obligatory symbionts because they depend entirely on their host for survival, and they are also ectosymbionts because they live on their host’s body surface, albeit the inner surface of the digestive tract. The species used in helminthic therapy are also mutualists.

    Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine concerned with disorders of the digestive system which includes all the organs of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (alimentary canal) from mouth to anus. Physicians practicing in this field of medicine are called gastroenterologists or GI specialists.

    Also known as regional enteritis, this is an inflammatory disease of the intestines that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms. It primarily causes abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), vomiting or weight loss, but may also cause complications outside the gastrointestinal tract such as skin rashes, arthritis, inflammation of the eye, tiredness and lack of concentration.

    Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms where one benefits from the other without affecting it.

    A species of helminth that is unsuitable for helminthic therapy, e.g., Ascaris lumbricoides.

    An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits at the host’s expense. (The organisms used in helminthic therapy are, strictly speaking, not parasites, but mutualists, because they have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with their hosts.)

    A measure of how frequently articles published in a particular academic journal are cited in other scientific literature. An impact factor of 10 means that, on average, each article published in that journal over the past two years has been cited 10 times in other research articles. A high impact factor (above 10) is not a perfect measure of quality, but it does usually suggest that the journal publishes research that is widely read and referenced, and is considered significant within its field. Wikipedia: Impact factor

    Doctor of Medicine (MD, from the Latin Medicinæ Doctor meaning "Teacher of Medicine").

    A microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease or fermentation.

    Retrieved from "https://htwiki.mywikis.eu/w139/index.php?title=Helminthic_therapy_research&oldid=18380"