MS Patients to Participate in an Experiment by Ingesting Worm Eggs

Sunday, March 30, 2008 by: Jo Hartley
Tags: multiple sclerosis, health news, Natural News

(NewsTarget) Researchers are now suspecting that all of the products available to us from vaccinations to anti-bacterial soap to bottled water are beginning to take their toll on our health. Our immune systems are in a state of confusion and they are actually turning on us. Doctors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) are on the verge of testing this theory in an extreme way.

Soon a liquid concoction of microscopic worm eggs will be served to patients with multiple sclerosis. The hope is that these parasites will lessen overactive immune systems and relieve the patients' symptoms.

It was observed over 40 years ago that children's environments that were highly sanitized were associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an auto-immune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissue, specifically myelin, which insulates nerve cells.

Some scientists are now saying that the way to stop this attack on nerve cells may be with the small helminth whipworm. This harmless microscopic parasite has long infected humans, often in underdeveloped countries.

Physicians at the UW-Madison plan to give the whipworm eggs to five MS patients over a period of several months. If the experiment is successful, more patients will be included. Most people infected with this parasite do not produce any symptoms of infection.

More than 2,000 eggs can fit on a space smaller than the head of a pin. Once inside a body, the eggs will hatch and worms will grow to about as long as an eyelash. The theory is that the presence of the worms will redirect the immune systems away from attacking the myelin, thus slowing the damage to the nerve cells.

This approach has already been utilized in the treatment of Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis, both of which are autoimmune disorders of the gastrointestinal system. Also being considered as possible diseases that would benefit from this treatment are Type 1 diabetes, and hay fever. MS and other autoimmune diseases like hay fever were uncommon in the 19th century as compared to today.

In 2007, a study in Argentina gave evidence of a direct link between intestinal parasites and MS. The study found that over a period of 4 ½ years 12 MS patients who had been unintentionally infected with intestinal parasites had dramatically fewer relapses than 12 matching patients without parasite infection.

MS is a complex disease, however, and has more contributing factors than whether or not someone has been infected by parasites. Genes play a strong role in whether or not someone becomes ill with MS, as do factors like sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels early in life.

To measure the effect, MRI scans will be performed before and during the study to observe any changes in nerve cells. The study will also be blinded so that doctors examining test results will not know when the images were done. Changes in symptoms will also be recorded. The study will take three months and during that time the participants will ingest a teaspoon of clear liquid containing over 2,000 worm eggs every two weeks. The study has been approved by the FDA and is being funded by a grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

About the author

Jo Hartley
Wife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2
Jo is a 41 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a natural approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about anything!
http://loftymatters.com - Current Events
http://winemaiden.com - Simply Abundant Living