We;ve talked here before about a possible link between autism and PD and the autoimmune angle, so I'm sharing this unexpected and almost sci-fi article I happened across. I won't even try to summarize it! It's short, almost incredible, and simoultaneously encouraging-how's that for a lead in? Here's the link:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/0...est=latestnews

This is one instance in which I really think it would be better not to try this at home

fascinating!!!

Lurking,

Thanks for the post.

See also the Scientific American article:
"For the Good of the Gut: Can Parasitic Worms Treat Autoimmune Diseases?"

Interestingly, it was a white-rat (not the White-Rat!) who brought this to the attention of scientists.

Also see Olsen's thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ighlight=worms

It's disappointing that so little progress appears to have been made in the last two years.

John

Wow! Did anyone note that this was discovered through a self-treating patient?!?!! How in the world would someone glom onto this.

I admit I am slightly tempted and may share this open-minded Doctor next week...the article quotes:

The one advantage to the trial, Hollander said, is the study is relatively safe; the eggs won’t reproduce in the gut or cause illness.


My biggest concern is that PD may not be autoimmune...how might it affect us. Fascinating how we make all this stuff so complicated when really it boils down to biology and evolution. What is interesting is that we, obsessed with germs, over clean ourselves with anti-bacterials, yet we groom ourselves using toxic chemicals in soaps and colognes; we pollute the air we inhale and what we ingest with abandon. How can this be explained from an evolutionary standpoint? Is our immune system evolving to adapt to a more toxin filled environment, but at the same time; due to other genetic factors, making some of us more likely to bear the fallout?

LFAC, how did you ever find this?

Laura

I troll every day across a myriad of sites, too many, really, but this one happened to be on FoxNews.com, not even a main headline but down near the bottom where the health stuff usually is. I googled some of the main terms of the article to see if any other site mentioned it or had more information, but the only result was the same site I got the article from in the first place.

I was also shocked to realize this young man discovered this on his own and took the initiative to try it. Thank heavens and I want to find out who he is so we can learn where he bought his worm ova.

Does anyone live near this doctor?

I wanted to add that as I have gotten older, perfumes bother me, and that includes perfumes in laundry soap, lotions, you name it. My eyes burn and I may even get a headache. We gave up dryer sheets in our house years ago for this reason and I have since learned you can use dryer sheets to kill ants in ant mounts!

They are now telling new mothers not to be too clean, too, that some dirt and germs are actually good for building a baby's immune system! I couldn't agree more, and it's the perfect excuse for relaxed housekeeping

"....:**note: this study is still pending**

The link between the symptoms of autism and the body's immune system is of great interest to our team. Specifically, we are interested in the febrile response in autism; symptoms of autism seem to dissipate in times of fever. The effects of febrile response in autism can be attributed to either an immune-inflammatory response or a direct effect of temperature on clinical symptoms. In this study, we seek to test a novel approach to ASD that will differentiate the two and would support the immune-inflammatory mechanism of the febrile response in ASD.

In this study, the eggs of Trichuris Suis Ova (TSO), a helmith porcine whipworm, are diluted into a liquid and given to patients for ingestion. In turn, the ova hatch in the small bowel and release larvae that mature into adult worms, however these worms cannot effectively multiply in the host and are not easily transmitted to others, hence they are not readily spread to other humans. Through an anti-inflammatory response, TSO regulates immune function and may, in turn, affect behavioral symptoms in individuals with autism.

Current pharmacological approaches to autism point to immunomodulatory effects in autism symptomatology; many FDA approved medications, prescribed for the symptoms of autism, act on the immune system. Risperidone, an FDA approved treatment for irritability and aggression in autism, has been found to have immunoregulatory effects through suppression of proinflammatory cytokines. Lithium has also been used in autism and studies of lithium have shown it also has immunoregulatory effects.
The autoimmune response triggered by the investigational agent may be effective in reducing repetitive behaviors, aggression, self-injury and impulsivity. The immunomodulatory pathways affected in ASD may not be influenced by the helminth TSO, and there is a possibility other tests and therapies for immune function may be a better fit for ASD. However, given its ability to inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines and restore balance to the Th1/Th2 system, and its success in treating other autoimmune disorders, it stands to reason that TSO may be a good test of the immune dysfunction hypothesis in ASD.

If you or your child are interested in participating in this study, please contact Tara Kahn at (718) 653-4859 x226 or tkahn@montefiore.org
"

Here's another link with quite a bit more info: http://www.the-scientist.com/?articl...viate-Autism-/

If you google using "whipworm ova and autism" you will get a lot of links about this teenager, going back to 2010. Watch and wait, this could really be interesting.

This is a great thread, and it immediately reminded me if this story I heard a couple years ago. I haven't listened to either story in years, but I think I will give it another listen tomorrow. It's based on the same premise.

We have definitely evolved to live with micro organisims. Our inner Eco-system needs them, and I think perhaps they need us.

This is the original story..
http://www.radiolab.org/2009/sep/07/...tal-narrative/

This is an update...
http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiol...-on-hookworms/

Good night!

Ana, thanks for reminding me about the wonderful Radiolab shows! My first introduction to them was the show on proprioception (just google "radiolab proprioception" to find)

Titled "where am I?" I find it useful info as I struggle to find my left hand and arm when putting on a jacket. Also maybe applicable to retrain my brain for walking to overcome balance issues.

-Brian