Therapeutic effect of worm-derived proteins on experimental colitis
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from chronic inflammation of the gut leading to gastrointestinal motility alterations with symptoms such as abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhoea that profoundly affect their quality of life. The lack of exposure to worm infections, as a result of improved living standards and medical conditions, might have contributed to the increased incidence of IBD in the Western world. Epidemiological, experimental and clinical data support the idea that worm infection provides protection against IBD. However, treatment of patients with living worms may have serious drawbacks such as infection and/or invasion of the parasite to other tissues. Therefore, therapy with worm-derived proteins might provide a more acceptable form of treatment...
