What is Digg?52 Comments
- sanitarysewer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You are already host to many similar organisms. If it works out I'd take it in a heartbeat. Individuals who enjoy ultra-clean water supplies suffer much more grievously from mildly contaminated water sources than do people who are regularly exposed to such pathogens. Your squeamishness is culturally imbued, and you cannot step outside it! Suckers!
- droflovephd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This is not a new idea. Scientists have known for years that only 1st world countries suffer from asthma and allergies. They speculated that the main difference is in developed nations the infection rate by parasites is very low. They believe when our immune system has no infections to fight, it becomes hyper-sensitive and responds to non-infectious agents, like pollen. But props to these guys for believing in their theory enough to put it into action.
- Migalicious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Let me know when I can get a small yellow fish in my ear and understand everything said.
- bluefire0728, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's possible to "outgrow" your asthma and other allergies. I had really bad asthma when I was younger. It's been nearly 5 years since I've had to use my inhaler.
- scjas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I guess digg does not allow urls. So read my story here: www.asthmahookworm.com
- GoodBrain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1All you smug people who say "ooo gr0ss," I'm glad I don't have asthma or hayfever should consider that maybe you don't have it because you were infected by hookworms when you were younger.
As for those who call this unresposible, I think you have absolutely no idea how much progress in medicine comes down to people taking personal risks before asking other people to take a chance on experimental therapies. - dongiaconia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Reminds me of Dr. Phlox.....
- ProfMo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@lollerskates: interesting point, I think it's a balance.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/hookworm/factsht_hookworm.htm
If you could keep the infection small, they would cause relatively little damage. However, run amok and they're a problem. Kinda like when the bacteria in your gut or on your skin gets into places it shouldn't... the situation is symbiotic until it gets out of order.
Though, I think in this case the end result would be finding the mechanism by which this works, and then finding a pharmaceutical substitute rather than just infecting the person with hookworms. Maybe a hookworm-based vaccine for asthma? Who knows. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Jaffa Kree!
I, for one, welcome our goa'uld overlords. - wilf_brim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Um, yuck. As a physician, yuck and dumb. Hookworm, prior to its elimination, was the leading cause of anemia in children in the United States, with attendent growth retardation, poor school performance, etc. Infecting folks with hookworm on purpose is very dumb, as you are letting the parasite out into the wild.
The trick (as noted above) is to figure out how to mimic the infection in the body without infecting people with worms. - gotamd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If this works I hope they find a way to replicate the immune response without infesting people with these things.
- master_of_fm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0even though I suffer from terrible mold allergies in the fall/winter time of year, i think i will pass on being infected with hookworms. unless if they were like the worms from the Futurama episode "Parasites Lost" then i might consider it.
- wolfger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I hate my hayfever, but I think I prefer hayfever to infesting myself with hookworms...
- meus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I have allergies and this is very interesting indeed. Sadly i did not "outgrow" mine.. I love cats, but i am allergic to them :/
- anthony1124, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This would be awsome. I went for a few years w/o using my inhaler, it seems this past year my asthma and allergies are getting more severe.... err. chest is hurting right now.
- thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0lol
wormy bastards! - bwd01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"Same. I was so bad when I was younger that I had to take a huge breathalizer machine everywhere with me. Since I hit puberty, I haven't even used a normal inhaler."
My case was never that bad, but I've since outgrown asthma too. I think it's pretty common to outgrow it once you hit puberty. - scjas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Ok, I have asthma and I would go for these things in a minute. Read some research, about a billion people have them already, and despite what some of you say about them they cannot proliferate in your gut.
Think I am speaking about some theory when I say I would take them? Think again, I did. And it cured not just my asthma but also my hay fever.
Here is my story: my asthma-hookworm web site - stonebear, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hope lies not in the parasite, but in figuring out what it does to alleviate allergies and duplicating it. There is no way to confine the infestation to the optimal 10 worms.
- zimm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0got them.
rather have them than worms too... lol - ShadySpace, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"It's possible to "outgrow" your asthma and other allergies. I had really bad asthma when I was younger. It's been nearly 5 years since I've had to use my inhaler."
Same. I was so bad when I was younger that I had to take a huge breathalizer machine everywhere with me. Since I hit puberty, I haven't even used a normal inhaler. - outerspaceapple, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0wow
- mobbydick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0they all want a nobel prize or what? like these guys http://nobelprize.org/medicine/laureates/2005/press.html
- n3xu5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Gimme some simbiants, I hate allergies!
- Quickstrike, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I remember reading about something similar for ppl with allergies.. Although I believe it was a different kind of worm that lived elsewhere. Scientists would swallow the eggs instead of injecting or placing on skin.
Interesting stuff. - vissavald, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Sounds good to me. If it actualy works, this would be awsome.
- wrinkles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0NewEvolution:
"Anyhow, thumbs up for the tweaking of the immune response, thumbs down for using hookworms. Couldn't they just put you on a regimen of inoculation with disabled viruses or something more benign to keep your immune system busy?"
I think what they are doing now is confirming the positive effects i.e. laying the groundwork for establishing a model. Next step, if the treatment is effective is to get away from hookworm infestation as the treatment.
From the article:
"Last week the first patients arrived at the school of pharmacy to have the hookworm larvae administered, to see if it would quell hay fever symptoms."
I don't know where they get these volunteers. I took a semester of parasitology in school, and hookworms are gross. - marlobello, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I don't know what these reports are talking about calling asthma an allergy. Asthma is a disease. It commonly manifests itself in 3 ways: Allergy induced, Exercise induced, and Illness induced. If these hook worms do something to lessen the bodies response to allergens, it couldn't be considered a cure for asthma merely a preventative treatment of one of the manifestations. Thats all I have to say about that.
- lollerskates, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Uh...if this is true, wouldn't they be symbiotes rather than parasites?
- framitz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0This is indeed interesting. My past two weekends have been ruined by allergies.
If this is proven to work and not cause significant harm I will gladly try it. - badogg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0judogti said: "Ok now I have the heebie jeebies all over my skin."
That would indicate nematodes, start a new story.. lol - AssultMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I've got pretty bad allergies at times. I'd take a hookworm hit any day, but I'd prefer it in some pill form, or as an perhaps as an implant that released the activating substance slowly.
- snapcase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I have a wonderful combination of Asthema and Allergies. Each condition has a great habit of making the otherone worse. I'm not about to go out and find some hookworms to see if they help, but I really do hope that this leads to some real treatments. At present, with the exception of my rescue inhaler, all of the medications I've been on through the years are barely effective.
- 0Troy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0"I don't know where they get these volunteers. I took a semester of parasitology in school, and hookworms are gross."
Stay in school kids, or you'll have to resort to selling yourself to science! :-) - teck0brain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I want one. I've got a sinus infection right now. *sneezes*
- blue_halo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Like using leaches to get rid of the "bad blood"? I'm sure there are safer ways of getting the immune system to react the way we want it to, After all, we do have flu shots.
- Refrag, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Hook me up! With some, uhhh... hook-worms.
- Graphite, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I agree this causes me to shudder. If this can cure Colitis i would seriously consider it. If you have ever had chron's/colitis then you know what a pain it can be. It can be so bad that people have to spent there lives using a bag as there colon and intestines are shot. They were saying this could also potentially cure that disease along with asthma and other allergies. I would be all up for doing it if there was no major side effects. But I agree ultimately it is finding out exactly how this works and replicating it without the need to put a foreign creature in our bodies
- dragulaaeop, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0*then wouldn't human...
- dragulaaeop, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0If allergies are caused by an overreaction of the immune system, then would human immunodeficiency virus be the true key to curing them (allergies)? Hmm... maybe someone should infect themselves and try it out.
- gyrfalcon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"Anything treatment that talks about putting larvae into my body so it can wriggle its way to my lungs and intestines to lay eggs so it can hatch worms into my blood system is GROSS! It's like using maggots to cure infections. YUCK! I may be cured of hay fever, but I'd die of of something else. I'll continue to party with my best friend Mr. Benadryl."
Read the article before posting your stupid opinion...thanks! - tarellel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0uhhh, thats freaking gross.
I have asthma and I sure the heck wouldn't do this.
And for my allergies, I got allergy shots twice a week for over 10 years (and still going). I'd rather get a shot, then have a hookworm squerming around inside my gutts. - RacerX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0EWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gross!!!!
- crazzy8, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Anything treatment that talks about putting larvae into my body so it can wriggle its way to my lungs and intestines to lay eggs so it can hatch worms into my blood system is GROSS! It's like using maggots to cure infections. YUCK! I may be cured of hay fever, but I'd die of of something else. I'll continue to party with my best friend Mr. Benadryl.
- Steve95613, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Very interesting..and strange. I'm very thankful that I don't have asthma or allergies.
+digg - BlueStarr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0Idiots.
- Anticitizen1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0i hope they all become violently ill, this is like, the dumbest thing ive ever herd...parasite infection isnt really an option for alergies, theres not telling what this could do to their organs and systems, i mean, anything that sucks blood from your intestines is not going to make you healthy.
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