Worms: A Remarkably Reasonable Treatment Option for Psoriasis

Abstract

There is a need to expand safe and effective treatment options for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. This article hypothesizes one promising novel treatment option: Trichuris Suis. Epidemiological, experimental, and clinical evidence suggest that Trichuris Suis therapy may be both applicable and advantageous in the treatment of psoriasis. Epidemiologically, the de-worming of developed nations has been correlated with the increased prevalence of immune-mediated disease such as psoriasis. Additionally, the mechanisms of helminth immune regulation should mitigate the underlying immunopathology in psoriasis. Finally, safety and efficacy of Trichuris Suis has been demonstrated in other immune-mediated diseases such as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, and multiple sclerosis with clinical responses in as many as 80% of patients. Evidently, there is ample evidence to warrant the investigation of Trichuris Suis therapy as a novel psoriasis treatment.