The Worm Turns

NY Times ^ | June 29, 2008 | MOISES VELASQUEZ-MANOFF

[Styria]

Bump for later.

[Kiss Me Hardy]

I was regularly infected with round worms as a child, and today my bowels are paragons of elliminative eficiency. Guess those nights with an itchy sphincter were worth it!

[steel_resolve]

put me on the list, thanks!

[dangerdoc]

That’s a snake in the head, not a worm in the belly.

[neverdem]

an unusual micro ping

[dangerdoc]

If I recall, the point is to elicit a type IV immune reaction which would be to fungus and worms rather than to bacteria.

[fightinJAG]

Add me, please and thank you.

[fightinJAG]

OTOH, why does it always come down to this:

Weinstock foresees new worm-based drugs.

[El Sordo]

Innerestin’.

Could you please add me to this list?

Thank you.

[neverdem]

I added you to the diabetes list.

[neverdem]

This is Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which are not to be confused with Irritable Bowel Disease, which is more symptom than pathology.

True enough, but if the hypothesis is correct, maybe they all have the same etiology. We like to separate immunology from neurology, but the two disciplines are probably more involved with each other than we realize, especially in the gut, IMHO.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***If eliminating worms led to an increase in disease, could re-introducing worms actually treat these diseases?***

And I thought the problem was caused by being around certain people who were a pain in the butt, like my worthless brother-in-law (If you know him he probably owes you money).

[B-Chan]

From what I’ve read, IBS is directly related to mood disorders, specifically depression. In other words, it’s something to do with neurochemicals, not the digestive tract.

While trying not to be gross, I will say that I suffered from horrible IBS for years. Once my depression was diagnosed and I began drug therapy, the IBS vanished.

To my knowledge, I have never had worms of any kind...

[VanShuyten]

Earlier last century, a French diet pill did indeed contain tapeworm eggs.

[TigersEye]

Amazing! It makes some sense but it would be the last way anyone would look at it. Even alternative medicine is rife with ways to eliminate intestinal worms.

[Smokin' Joe]

Not a flu ping, but of medical interest...(Thanks, neverdem!)

[vetvetdoug]

I've been aware of this treatment modality for about five years. It intrigued me the first time I read about it but begs the question, why do dogs still have IBD when they are constantly being challenged by intestinal parasites like Trichuris vulpis and Ancylostoma caninum? This may be one part of the puzzle in treating human forms of Crohns' Disease or IBD but I don't believe its the cure all. In cattle there is a Mycobacterium jujuni that causes IBD which can be transmitted to dogs and humans and I believe there has been a rare diagnosis in a cat.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Using hookworm to treat life-threatening asthma:

http://www.asthmahookworm.com/

[grey_whiskers]

Too much information. ;-)

Cheers!

[wayoverthehill]

I don’t know. If this theory of too much cleanliness holds up, introducing more live bacteria into an already too clean system might hurt more than help. The intestinal bacteria need something else to eat besides the intestine itself.