So where is the science in this? Celiac disease is a condition in which the body mistakenly sees gluten – an inoffensive multi-protein complex found in some cereals – as a threat and tries to attack it. In doing so, the immune system drives an inflammatory reaction that causes damage to the small intestine. Diseases in which the body attacks itself, celiac disease included, are referred to as autoimmune disorders.
The key to the worms’ success in the treatment of this disease is in the inflammation. Autoimmune diseases typically involve a type of white blood cell called Th1, or T helper type 1, which drive pro-inflammatory responses; if uncontrolled, these reactions can lead to severe tissue damage. The other type of T helper cell, Th2, actually generates anti-inflammatory responses, and is associated with parasitic worm, or helminth, infections.
This knowledge led to an intriguing proposition: could the presence of worms in celiacs drive a Th2 response that would dampen down the Th1 reaction? There has actually been a substantial amount of evidence in favor of this idea, with studies of helminth infections showing that Th2 responses can offer an anti-inflammatory environment.
Putting this to the test, researchers from James Cook University alongside doctors at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane enrolled 12 celiacs and infected them with 20 hookworm larvae, administered under a bandaid. Apparently, it felt like having hot sauce on your skin. Hookworms don’t actually reproduce inside humans, so there was no risk of the infection getting out of control, and they die in a few years.
