Gut worms can prevent asthma

Nottingham, January 30: Scientists are conducting researches to find if gut worms can be useful in improving the immune systemdefine and inhibiting problems such as asthma and allergies.

According to experts, parasitic worms or helminths can be instrumental in modulating the immune systemdefine.

Scientists also agree that one possible reason for an increment in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and a few other types of cancers could be the absence of these worms.

As of now, these parasitic worms do not exist in human beings residing in developed countries. They have been destroyed because of high hygiene levels prevalent in these countries.

Scientists conducted a research trial on infected asthma patients in Nottingham, who were infected with hookworms, to check whether that brought any improvement in their symptoms.

U.S. scientists are also working further on a study conducted in Argentina, that discovered that the progress of multiple sclerosis slowed down in patients who were naturally infected with such worms.

Graham Rook, Professor of medical microbiology at University College, London, was quoted as saying, “Certain organisms that were there throughout our evolutionary history have developed a role in causing the immune system to develop and causing the policemen of the immune system to be operating at the right level.”

Researchers believe that drug companies will now work towards developing drugs containing similar properties to that of parasites for the treatments.

Our immune systems might not function properly because of lack of these worms, revealed professor Jan Bradley, an expert in parasite immunologydefine from Nottingham University.

It was also reported in December 2008 by scientists at the University of Nottingham that gut parasites could be helpful in curing conditions such as eczemadefine, asthma and hay fever.