Whip worm

[what a pain in the gut]

Has anyone else been involved in any whip worm studies?

I was in a study about 6 months ago and it worked wonders on my crohn's.

I only wish I could get this treatment right now and not have to wait years for it to get FDA approval.

I am a nooblet here so go easy on me if this has been discussed :shifty:

 

[Z_Ghost]

No but I would sure like to try it.

 

[what a pain in the gut]

I have found an article from the wall street journal that explains how the treatment works.

I will post a bit of the more interesting parts below and a link to the article

The study that I was in had me drink a vial of about 1000 whip worm eggs (or a placebo vial, which I'm all but positive it wasn't) - over the coarse of the next few weeks my crohn's was completely gone from my mind. I had no pain, no diarrhea, no nausea, no fever, and was on no other medication.

I seriously think this could be the right treatment for me and just want to share with you all so you can look into it if you are interested!

Also... if anyone has a way to get this kind of treatment please pm me or something. I live in the U.S. so it is not available as a full on treatment yet :/

Anyway.... here you go:

***The whipworm treatment was born from a theory known as the hygiene hypothesis, which essentially says our environment has become too clean. Humans aren't exposed to microorganisms in the environment as much as they used to be, when more people farmed or lived closely with animals.

While many diseases have diminished thanks to improved hygiene and medicine, people aren't exposed to bacteria that helped regulate the immune system, the theory goes. This lack of exposure may, in part, be responsible for the increase in diseases in which the body's immune system goes awry.

Based on this hygiene hypothesis, researchers at the University of Iowa wanted to find a safe parasite—one that wasn't known to cause infection or illness in humans—for therapeutic purposes. This type of treatment is known as helminthic treatment, or more specifically TSO, from the Latin name for whipworm eggs: Trichuris Suis Ova.

"It looks like the helminth [the parasite] rebalances the immune system," says Bobby Sandage, chief executive of Burlington, Mass.-based Coronado Biosciences, which is finishing up an early-stage clinical trial of whipworm to treat Crohn's disease. A Phase 2 trial is planned for this year.

In many autoimmune diseases, immune cells known as T1 cell cytokines proliferate and fight against the body's cells, the way they do when the body detects foreign invaders.***

it seems I cannot yet post a URL so I will have to post it later.

 

[what a pain in the gut]

A bit more:

*** Coronado Biosciences Patients and study participants consume microscopic whipworm eggs, above left, which hatch into worms, right, in the intestines. The worms appear to spur a beneficial immune-system reaction.

The introduction of the whipworm appears to spur the body to produce more of a different type of helpful immune cell—T2 helper cytokines—as a defense against the worms. This separate immune response appears to help counter the inflammatory response from diseases, say researchers.

This approach differs from many available treatments on the market for inflammatory diseases. If these drugs, which tend to suppress the immune system, are given in doses that are too high, the immune system can be compromised, says Robert Summers, a professor in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Iowa who helped run the trials.***

 

[Tenacity]

Thanks for posting the results of your trial. I appreciate you doing that for us.

Do you have any idea what the overall results were regarding the other patients, and did they mention to you when they thought this might be available in the US?

Thank you.

 

[Z_Ghost]

Thanks for the info

 

[VictoriaSage]

What I'm wondering about the hygiene hypothesis is that I never had a particularly over clean environment. In fact, many times quite the opposite. So I'm pretty sure I was exposed to plenty of things.

But, these whip worms do actually help? Interesting. While initially the thought is disturbing, it seems much safer than the medicines usually prescribed. And more effective apparently.

 

[what a pain in the gut]

I live in Michigan which is where the tests took place. According to the research institute that ran the tests they are now going into phase 3 testing which will take about another year and then within 3 years after that is when this treatment should be available to people in the U.S.

To be completely honest here, I should tell you that I have not gotten any actual test results back yet. I am purely putting this out there based on my experience. I do know that a lot of people had shown vast improvement and/or complete remission

I grew up in the country mostly but not on a farm. My mom was pretty up to date on all the latest health hazards and whatnot while I was growing up so I think they might be onto something with this hygiene theory.

I have also been told that most undeveloped countries have shown zero cases of crohns, or other auto immune diseases. I do not have any evidence to back this up though :/

 

[Trevor]

All I have to say is I am down to eat worms

 

[Islandboy]

"According to the research institute that ran the tests they are now going into phase 3 testing which will take about another year and then within 3 years after that is when this treatment should be available to people in the U.S."

I hope you are right, I'm dying to try this!

 

[Campbell]

I'm really interested in the helminth cure for Crohns...as I know what long term steroids do..but from what I have read its very expensive and hard to get hold of...? Any more information I would be really interested...the fact that scientists and drug companies are getting interested in this must mean something!..Jan

 

[723crossroads]

Thanx for the info and hopefully it will be available to those who need it so badly soon. I saw this on the Television show "Dr. Oz" and they highly recommended it. I bet the drug companies will go against it though unless they can get their hands in the till also!!!

 

[Trevor]

I think that's why this might work (financially). It is a drug company and they specifically chose a type of worm that leaves your system on a regular basis so you have to keep taking it.

There's plenty of money to be made if it works.

 

[723crossroads]

I think that's why this might work (financially). It is a drug company and they specifically chose a type of worm that leaves your system on a regular basis so you have to keep taking it.

There's plenty of money to be made if it works.

Very true, so maybe we will be able to get it in a coupl years. Thanx Trev!

 

[Igor_Passau]

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=40354