Production and Use of Hymenolepis diminuta Cysticercoids as Anti-Inflammatory Therapeutics

Abstract

Helminthic therapy has shown considerable promise as a means of alleviating some inflammatory diseases that have proven resistant to pharmaceutical intervention. However, research in the field has been limited by a lack of availability to clinician scientists of a helminth that is relatively benign, non-communicable, affordable, and effectively treats disease. Previous socio-medical studies have found that some individuals self-treating with helminths to alleviate various diseases are using the rat tapeworm (cysticercoid developmental stage of Hymenolepis diminuta; HDC). In this study, we describe the production and use of HDCs in a manner that is based on reports from individuals self-treating with helminths, individuals producing helminths for self-treatment, and physicians monitoring patients that are self-treating. The helminth may fit the criteria needed by clinical scientists for clinical trials, and the methodology is apparently feasible for any medical center to reproduce. It is hoped that future clinical trials using this organism may shed light on the potential for helminthic therapy to alleviate inflammatory diseases. Further, it is hoped that studies with HDCs may provide a stepping stone toward population-wide restoration of the biota of the human body, potentially reversing the inflammatory consequences of biota depletion that currently affect Western society.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory; biological therapeutic; helminth; helminthic therapy; inflammation.

Figure 1

Schematic diagram showing maintenance of the rat tapeworm in laboratory rats (primary hosts) and grain beetles (secondary hosts) as described in the text. Blue boxes indicate steps that include live Hymenolepis diminuta, either eggs, Hymenolepis diminuta cysticercoids (HDCs), or adult tapeworms.

Figure 2

Loading of a Samco 231 disposable fine-tip pipette with HDCs. A 20 mL volume of opaque liquid has been loaded into this pipette. The numbers on the scale indicate centimeters.

Figure 3

Typical HDCs. HDCs vary in size over roughly a 5-fold range, and have substantial morphological variation in their “tail”. Photographs shown were taken using iPhone 6 cameras and either an OMAX dissecting microscope with a iDu LabCam Microscope Adapter for the iPhone (Left images) or a Wilovert inverted microscope (Right images) by two coauthors (CM and ZEH) working independently.

Figure 4

The effect of housing density on the efficiency of inoculation as measured by the number of HDCs obtained per beetle. The housing density during inoculation was varied, and after an appropriate incubation as described in the Methods, the inoculation efficiency was determined. Each data point represents the number of HDCs found in a single beetle. The loading density showed an inverse correlation with loading efficiency (m = −0.81 ± 0.36; p = 0.028).

Figure 5

Removal of bacteria from HDCs by washing. The results from 8 trials with 10 HDCs being washed in each trial are shown. The final number in each trail is the number of bacteria associated with the HDCs after removal from wash 10. In 7 out of 8 trials, there were no bacteria observed in wash 10. However, in 7 out of 8 trials, there were bacteria associated with the HDCs.

Figure 6

Purification of HDCs by sedimentation through a column. The number of bacteria decreased over the length of the column, such that no bacteria are present in the first and second fractions. Each fraction was approximately 0.5 mL in volume, except for the “HDC fraction”, which was taken from fraction 1 and contained the HDCs in a volume of 130 uL.

Figure 7

Decision tree for determination of optimal personal dosage and frequency of dosage of HDCs. * Substantial adverse reactions are rare and have thus far been limited to the pediatric population.