Parasites are Good for You??? Bioengineered Parasites as Medicine?

New research and experiments indicate that deliberately ingesting certain types of parasitic worms may be the cure for colitis, hay fever, asthma and a host of other auto-immune diseases. Gross!!! But seriously, the theory is that since humans co-evolved with gut-worms they may in fact be necessary to our health. This is an interesting idea actually -- there are number of "bad" micro-organisms that modern medicine has eliminated -- but what if some of them are actually necessary for our health because we've evolved alongside them for so long that they are part of how we work? This is not so suprising. Human organisms are assemblages of many complex sub-systems some of which are unique organisms in their own right -- we are superorganisms -- for example, we cannot digest our food effectively without the help of e-coli bacteria and the mitochondira in our own cells seem to contain their own unique DNA. Gut-worms, disgusting as they may be, could be in fact good for our health. This reminds me of something that several hard-core backpackers in Asia told me when I was in the far reaches of India and Nepal: it turns out some of them found out that having a tapeworm prevented them from getting amoebas and other parasites because the tapeworm ate the other baddies they ingested. Tapeworms are pretty good parasites -- that is they can reside in a host for a long time without killing them, although their are certain risks from long-term tape-worm infections (such as brain, eye and other tissue diseases). This makes me think about the potential for a future medical advance: bioengineered parasites. Suppose we could evolve or build a form of gut-worm that could not reproduce. You could ingest the eggs and they would hatch in the intestinal tract and the resulting worms would live for a week or two. Then they would die without reproducing first. It would be sort of like taking a course of antibiotics, only a lot grosser!

Comments

[Richard Kuhns author of Soothing the Itch Within and the Diiet to Control it.]

Yes, there are flying insects that transmit skin parasites to the hum aan host. Generally these flying insects are mites that take up residence on unsuspecting humans. They bring with them parasites such as Morgellons, Collembola, Strongloides... all of which make life a living hell as I personally discovered in the mid 90's. They actually take over your household and some are very contageous.
Since then I learned how to disinfect my home, bath for relief, a special diet that starves the parasites, and the medications that actually work. This was after a dozen doctor and many prescriptions such as Elimite, Quell, Diprolene, sulfa drugs... that didn't work. Everything I learned and discovered is in an ebook. go to http://www.SkinParasitesEbook.com or just click on my name.

[solbreak]

this article is very intresting to me, and i dont believe it is farfetched at all. humans have know to become immune and carrying diseases. think about when europians(i know i cant spell) first came to north america, they killed most of the native americans of with disease. i beilive it is possible we have had gut worms for generations. as far as bioengineerd parasites as medice goes, in the future if scientits do create something like that, that realy does have great medical applications society would never accept it. think of geneticaly engineered produce, its sad but it just isnt excepted

[Nova Spivack]

Tony that is just FREAKY! It sounds like the Tse-Tse fly -- have you been in Africa or the Middle East recently? They may also have it in the Amazon... you should definitely go see a tropical disease specialist ASAP. YUCK that sounds really horrible. Hopefully you are just joking! But if you are serious, get thee to a doctor!!!!!

[TONY]

ARE THERE ANY KNOWN FLYING PARASITES AND/OR MITES.I HAVE WHAT APPEARS TO BE SCABIES BUT THEY FLY AS WELL. IVE TRIED LINDAIN AND IT DOESNT WORK. THEY ARE SMALL NITLIKE INSECTS UNDER MY SKIN.THEY CAUSE SWELLING LIKE SPORES ON MY BACK ,HEAD WRIST,ABDOMEN,ETC. WONDERING IF YOU KNEW OF A FLYING PARSITE.PLEASE RESPOND COULD USE ANY ADVICE