TREATMENT WITH HELMINTH THERAPY FOR AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES

Abstract

Introduction: During the last decades the prevalence of autoimmune diseases has been growing in Western countries. This phenomenon may occur due to a better hygiene and a minor exposure to infections, such as helminthic infections. Helminths are capable of modulating the autoimmune response of the affected host organism, increasing type 2 autoimmune response. As a consequence, said increasement could develop a protective role regarding autoimmune diseases which reduces the inflammation and the tissue damage they produce.

Results: Many clinical trials have been evaluated to prove that helminthic therapy can be efficient and be used as a therapeutic alternative to these diseases which may not have an existent treatment. Trichuris suis and Necator americanus have been the most used helminths during these processes. Many of these trials have obtained positive results among the symptoms of these pathologies. Nevertheless, this possible treatment needs a deeper research as well as longer term trials with a bigger sample size.

Keywords: helminthic therapy, helminths, intestinal microbiota, helminthic immunomodulation, autoimmune diseases, immunometabolism of autoimmune diseases