Worm Eggs May Heal Ulcerative Colitis
Dec. 1, 2010 -- It sounds made up, but it’s true. A California man successfully treated his inflammatory bowel disease by self-medicating with parasitic worm eggs.
Now researchers at New York University say that by studying the man they have gained new insights into how worms promote intestinal healing.
The investigation could lead to potential targets for more conventional ways of treating bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis, parasitologist and researcher P’ng Loke, PhD, of NYU Langone Medical Center tells WebMD.
Research is also under way in the U.S. and Europe to determine if a pharmaceutical-grade worm egg liquid is useful for treating a range of health conditions, including Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even food allergies.
“We have known for a while that these parasitic worms could be beneficial for treating ulcerative colitis, but we haven’t really understood why,” Loke says. “By analyzing this patient, we may have found some answers.”
A Visual Guide to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Now researchers at New York University say that by studying the man they have gained new insights into how worms promote intestinal healing.
The investigation could lead to potential targets for more conventional ways of treating bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis, parasitologist and researcher P’ng Loke, PhD, of NYU Langone Medical Center tells WebMD.
Research is also under way in the U.S. and Europe to determine if a pharmaceutical-grade worm egg liquid is useful for treating a range of health conditions, including Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and even food allergies.
“We have known for a while that these parasitic worms could be beneficial for treating ulcerative colitis, but we haven’t really understood why,” Loke says. “By analyzing this patient, we may have found some answers.”
A Visual Guide to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
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