Now a new Australian study has lent some credence to that hypothesis. Researchers at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital have shown for the first time that parasitic hookworms could hold the key to treating coeliac disease, which is caused by gluten intolerance. The scientists recruited 20 participants for their human trial through the Coeliac Society. They infected half of them with live human hookworms. The parasites burrowed into participants’ skin and entered the bloodstream after being applied to the forearm. They then travelled via the lungs to the gut where they happily colonised. For 21 weeks, the coeliac patients were fed white bread each day and were examined for a reaction. The study’s co-author, Dr James Daveson, says patients with the parasitic gut worm fared dramatically better to gluten exposure than those without. “They experienced less inflammation and less damage was seen in the intestinal wall,” he said. At the end of the trial, the volunteers were offered worm medication to rid themselves of the parasites, but all chose to keep their worms. The study will be presented at the Australian Gastroenterology Week conference in Sydney. The researchers say further trials are needed, but they believe the findings could help in the treatment of other auto-immune diseases including Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
try this http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-10-22/worms-linked-to-coeliac-relief/1113232
Crohn’s Disease – Professor Thomas Borody Of Australia Comes To New York To Discuss Significant New Findings
He will deliver data from a clinical study of 213 patients in Australia along with the responses to treatment of over 50 of Prof. Borody’s own patients, to his anti-mycobacteria therapy research. According to Prof. Borody’s report, as many as 95% of his patients have responded to treatment with full remission achieved by 65% of these patients. Dr. Borody says, “These results exceed all documented evidence of response to Crohn’s Disease therapies and promise significant relief for a large number of the estimated one million Crohn’s patients around the world.” Dr. Borody MD PhD FRACP, a graduate of the University of New South Wales, from which he holds a doctorate in medicine, will be presenting his findings in an open forum at: The Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center 74 Hauppauge Road in Commack, Long Island March 20, 2006 from 7-9 PM. Suggested donation $3 As the founder and current Medical Director of the Centre for Digestive Diseases (CDD), Dr. Borody has created a unique medical institution, internationally regarded for its novel approaches in research, diagnosis and the treatment of gastrointestinal conditions. He has been a recipient of the Winthrop Traveling Fellowship, the Neil Hamilton Fairly Fellowship and the Marshall & Warren Prize, and was a Clinical Fellow in Gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 1983. He is a member of the Australian Medical Association, the Gastroenterological Society of Australia, the European Gastroenterology Society, the Functional Brain-Gut Research Group and Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American College of Physicians. Prof. Borody supervises a number of major research programs as well as being involved as a reviewer for the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, Endoscopy, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical Journal of Australia and Digestive and Liver Diseases. He has published in excess of 120 scientific papers. In 2004 he was appointed an Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Science at the University of Technology, Sydney.
via this link http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/38664.php
Specialist to help ease wait times
September figures show priority-one gastroenterology patients waited an average 47 days to be seen at the outpatient clinic – 50 per cent longer than the recommended 30-day maximum – and category-two patients waited an average 16 weeks. But waiting times have improved since a year ago, when some children waited up to a year to be assessed because of an acute shortage of gastroenterologists. It prompted the State Government to launch an urgent recruitment drive for specialists. The hospital says progress has been made after finding a gastroenterologist to fill a vacant position but it will have to take on more staff. A spokeswoman said PMH expected waiting times to improve further with a new part-time gastroenterologist due to start this month. Another 0.5 full-time equivalent position was in the appointment process and PMH was optimistic about appointing someone early next year. The Australian Medical Association welcomed the recent addition of a specialist but said it was clear more were needed to keep up with demand in the highly specialised area. WA president Richard Choong said gastroenterology was historically a difficult specialty to staff, which led to long delays for patients to be assessed and treated. “The fact PMH has managed to find someone recently and is close to more appointments is good news and very encouraging,” he said. “This is an area of medicine that is very specific and there are many conditions that need to access its services, but it’s a classic example of where there just aren’t enough people to do the jobs required.” Dr Choong said as a result many children were waiting too long, often in pain and discomfort, to be diagnosed and treated. “What I really hope is that the hospital will be able to recruit the extra staff it needs so children can be seen even more quickly,” he said.
this hyperlink http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/latest/a/19770024/specialist-to-help-ease-wait-times/
My Very Own Brilliant Workout Site 