A new paper suggests that patients with intestinal disorders, such as Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), would gain from infection with intestinal parasites.Julius Lukes, one of the co-authors of the paper, and other scientists in the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Integrated Microbial Biodiversity program have begun to focus on eukaryotes which live within the human body in recent years - what they are calling the "eukaryome". Lukes asserts that most parasites are not harmful to otherwise healthy patients with low parasite loads. To prove his point, he ingested several eggs of Diphyllobothrium latum (picture below), a tapeworm commonly acquired by eating under-cooked fish. After a year, the parasites are estimated to be 12 feet in length, and Julius reports he is feeling fine.
The theory behind the deliberate infection of these patients with parasites is an extension of the "Old Friends Hypothesis", which is based on the idea that they evolved with us and have been inside humans for most of our history. These parasites, which include hookworms, tapeworms, and Blastocystis species, are thought to "distract" the immune system and prevent it from overreacting to normal stress and reducing inflammation in the intestines. These parasites are commonly thought to cause vitamin deficiency, anemia, and diarrhea, but Lukes says that a critical review of the evidence shows "no negative impact in well-nourished people with low overall parasite loads". The hypothesis is still in the early stages of testing, but similar strategies have worked for viral infections.
Sources
Article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/280085.php
Picture: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/images/diphyllobothrium/home_page_image_diphyllobothrium.jpg
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