Helminth therapy consists of using small parasitic worms, called helminths, to treat autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies, food intolerance, eczema, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes  and many inflammatory diseases.

The starting point is that autoimmune diseases are mostly found in industrialized countries where parasitic worms have been eradicated. The idea is that these worms have co-evolved to modulate our immune system to avoid being rejected by our body.

For more information:

• Wikipedia
• Helminthic Therapy Wiki (the reference site)
• Autoimmune Worm Cure (Andy Newman, New York Times, 1999)
• Gut instinct: the miracle of the parasitic hookworm (Tim Adams, The Guardian, 2010)
• Supplements, worms and stool: How families are trying to game the gut to treat autism traits (Leah Shaffer, Spectrum, 2019)
• Why doctor working in New Zealand infected himself with hookworms (Sarah Wilson, The New Zealand Herald, 2022)
• Infection with benefits: How playing host to hookworms could be good for you (Farah Hancock, Radio New Zealand, 2024)

Few scientific papers:

• Helminths’ therapeutic potential to treat intestinal barrier dysfunction (Thomas Mules and all, Allergy, 2023)
• Reevaluating Biota Alteration: Reframing Environmental Influences on Chronic Immune Disorders and Exploring Novel Therapeutic Opportunities (William Parker and all, Yale J Biol Med., 2024)
• Socio-medical studies of individuals self-treating with helminths provide insight into clinical trial design for assessing helminth therapy (Parasitology International, 2022)

See also:

• Phage therapy
• Other biotherapies