Helminth therapy consists of using small parasitic worms, called helminths, to treat autoimmune diseases, asthma and severe allergies.

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 Guardian: Tim Adams, Gut instinct: the miracle of the parasitic hookworm, 2010

See also

• Phage therapy
• Other biotherapies