Parasitic worms may be useful in treating lung disease and healing wounds, according to a study published online today (Jan.15) in Nature Medicine.
Although far from benign — these intestinal parasites infect more than a billion humans worldwide and kill or sicken hundreds of millions of people yearly — the worms appear to trigger key elements of the immune system responsible for repairing damaged tissues and reducing inflammation.
These live worms could be used someday in a controlled setting to treat serious lung injury caused by respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, according to the senior author on the report, William Gause of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, N.J.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Swallowing Parasitic Worms May Heal Your Ails | Intestinal Worms & Hookworms | Wound Healing & Immune System | Worm Therapy | LiveScience
