I
remember in the yesteryear when checking the level of autoimmune MS-like disease
in the animals, that the pooh sometimes had loads of worms (pinworms) on
them..................so is that really doing to affect their disease
that much? Then experimental animals often had a few viruses and pinworm
infections
were common in most animal houses, they are now squeeky clean).
Anyway the trial information of using parasites to treat MS is beginning to surface and one study was presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting
[S30.005] Voldsgaard A et al. Trichuris Suis Ova Therapy for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis – A Safety Study
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety of Trichuris suis ova (TSO = eggs of the parasitic pig whipworm) treatment in MS patients.
BACKGROUND:
An observational study has suggested that relapsing-remitting multiple
sclerosis (MS) patients with helminth (parasitic worm) infestation associated with
eosinophilia (type of white blood cell that kills worms) have lower disease activity and disease progression than
uninfected matched MS patients. Treatment with TSO, eggs from the
porcine whipworm, seems safe and effective in the treatment of
inflammatory bowel disease, and previous studies in nine MS patients
showed that the administration of TSO was well tolerated.
DESIGN/METHODS:
The design was an open-label, MRI assessor-blinded study. After a
run-in period for 8 weeks, all patients were treated orally with 2500
live Trichuris suis ova every second week for 12 weeks. MRI was
performed with 3-week intervals. Neurological examinations and blood
sampling were performed at screening, baseline, at week 6 and week 12.
Ten patients, two men and eight women, aged 24-55 years with relapsing
MS were included. Median (range) disease duration 9 (4-34) years, EDSS
2.5 (1-5.0), and relapses within last two years 3 (2-5). Four patients
received no other therapy, while six patients were treated with
interferon (IFN)-beta sc.
RESULTS: Treatment with TSO was well
tolerated and with overall good compliance. There were no safety
concerns. Two patients suffered a relapse in the run-in period, and one
patient suffered a single and another patient two relapses during
treatment with TSO. New MRI activity was observed in 3 patients in the
run-in period (three 3-weekly scans) and in 8 patients during treatment
with TSO (four 3-weekly scans). Immunological studies showed no changes,
apart from eosinophilia, in the treatment period. CONCLUSIONS:
Treatment with TSO seems to be safe and well-tolerated when administered
to patients with relapsing MS. We did not observe any signals
suggesting a beneficial effect of TSO. Further investigations are needed
to assess the effect on the disease.
This trial is probably too small to tell us much, except that humans can tolerate infections of the pig whipworm, so it will need to be done again.