http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/beauty-of-biology-worms-may-cure-asthma/news-story/b7a916abb43214931a4cf63de02ed31c?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newscomaunationalbreakingnewsndm+%28News.com.au+%7C+National+%7C+Breaking+News%29
The Brooklyn-born cleric joined the Christian Brothers in 1944 and
spent many years teaching elementary and high schools in New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. After his retirement from teaching
at age 70, he spent nine years running a novitiate in Eritrea in East
Africa before returning to the United States, Byrne told NJ.com, which
has additional biographical information.
Beauty of biology: Worms may 'cure' asthma
October 28, 201612:54pm
Sarah Wiedersehn
Australian Associated Press
The spit of the parasitic hookworm could help cure asthma and other
auto-immune diseases in the near future.
Researchers at the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and
Medicine, at James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns, have identified a
protein secreted by hookworms that suppresses asthma in mice.
The parasitic worm inhabits the intestines of humans and other
animals. It has hook-like mouthparts with which it attaches itself to
the wall of the gut, puncturing the blood vessels and feeding on the
blood.
An infestation often results in severe anaemia.
But surprisingly their presence in the body seems to have some
protective mechanism against asthma and allergies.
Scientists turned to the tiny creature for research after children in
developing countries, in particular Ethiopia, started wheezing soon
after they were de-wormed, according to JCU immunologist Dr Severine
Navarro.
"That's where the beauty of biology comes into play, for this little
parasite to be happy and live for a long time they need to make sure
that their host is actually healthy and happy, and the only way to
achieve it is to take care of it essentially, and the minimum payment
is just a few red blood cells," she said.
Basically, the worms regulate their human host's immune response to
allergens in order to survive and remain undetected.
A study led by Dr Navarro and published in journal Science
Translational Medicine, recently tested the worm protein, known as
AIP-2, on both mice and human in vitro cells.
The mice treated with the protein showed an extensive suppression of
inflammatory responses after exposure to an allergen.
AIP-2 was also tested on cells from people allergic to dust mites, a
common asthma trigger.
Dr Navarro was hesitant to use the word cure but said the benefits
were long-lasting and very exciting.
The protein even showed some healing ability by preventing the
"overwhelming inflammatory cascade" from happening.
"So that leaves some time for the lung tissue to re-generate and heal itself."
"In addition there are other compounds secreted by the hookworms that
do have some healing properties so in the future we could also imagine
a combination therapy that could promote healing and also suppress the
non-wanted inflammatory immune responses that would completely revert
the negative effect of asthma."
It's hoped a pill-based treatment using "all the wonderful mechanisms
that worms have developed to help us" will be available in the next
few years.
Received on Sat Oct 29 2016 - 13:19:44 EDT