Hookworm Research Trial for RRMS

Researchers are recruiting people with relapsing remitting MS for a study that will look at the treatment potential of infecting people with hookworms.

The study aims to recruit 70 people from the Nottingham and Derby areas who will be split into two groups. Half will be infected with hookworm larvae via a plaster applied to the arm.

The other group will receive a placebo containing no hookworms.

The researchers will monitor the effect on cells in the immune system associated with the inflammation experienced in RRMS.

Studies of parasitic worms have been undertaken in several conditions, including asthma and Crohn's disease and hookworms and whipworms have previously been used in small studies in MS.

It is considered thought that the presence of the parasite in the body may stop the immune system from becoming overactive, thus reducing both the severity of symptoms and the number of relapses.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00630383 http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00630383