According to some studies (with which part of the scientific community does not agree), some diseases such as allergies, type 1 diabetes and a number of autoimmune processes can arise from the fact that the human body is “well protected” from the environment from childhood and has little contact with harmful microorganisms. In this regard, according to the editors of the New Scientist magazine, the German government may consider an application by one of the Thai pharmaceutical companies to sell eggs of the parasitic nematode Trichuris suis as a means of treatment and prevention.
Trichuris suis infects the intestines of pigs and some other animals. These parasitic worms, as the representatives of the pharmaceutical company say, represent the "golden mean" - they can enter the human intestine and live there for several days, suppressing the overly active immune system, but cannot gain a foothold there and die quickly enough after leaving the eggs.
Some biologists are sure that, for example, allergies develop due to the fact that a person lives in "sterile" conditions with no parasites. Since childhood, the immune system does not receive enough information to learn to distinguish harmful microorganisms from dust and pollen, which can lead to the development of autoimmune processes.
It is worth noting that such statements did not go unnoticed, and in 2016 a number of experiments were carried out with the participation of the Trichuris suis parasites. Experiments have shown that adding eggs to food does not cause side effects, but it also does not cause any positive changes. Therefore, the serious scientific community is skeptical about such treatment methods. At the same time, the absence of side effects, according to New Scientist, is the main criterion for approving supplements of this kind, which manufacturers can take advantage of. As noted by physician Peter Hotez of Baylor College in the United States,
“In my opinion, cherry therapy belongs to the same category of pseudoscientific, almost religious therapies, such as the 'treatment' of autism with substances that remove heavy metals from the body. It would be extremely stupid to approve the sale of such products in Germany.”
By the way, many scientists also have a negative attitude towards the decision of the German authorities, stating that self-medication with the help of parasitic worms can lead to serious side effects, and the effect of the worms themselves on the body is still not well understood.
Based on materials from RIA Novosti
Vladimir Kuznetsov
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