Hookworms successfully prevent type 2 diabetes in human trial

In a world first, a two-year human trial conducted by James Cook University (JCU) has wound up, and the worms graduated with flying colors, particularly in relation to type 2 diabetes, paving the way for a larger international trial.

What’s more, of the 24 participants who received worms, when offered a dewormer at the end of the second year of the trial, with the option to stay in the study for another 12 months, only one person chose to kill off their gut buddies – and it was only because they had an impending planned medical procedure.

“All trial participants had risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes,” said Dr Doris Pierce, from JCU’s Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine (AITHM). “The trial delivered some considerable metabolic benefits to the hookworm-treated recipients, particularly those infected with 20 larvae.”

Of course, not all hookworms are created equal, and much like bacteria, parasitic worms run the full gamut of human health interactions. But using low-dose human hookworm therapy is proving to have multiple benefits regarding the health of the host.

In this double-blinded trial, 40 participants aged 27 to 50, with early signs of metabolic diseases, took part. They received either 20 or 40 microscopic larvae of the human hookworm species Necator americanus; another group took a placebo.

As for the results, those with 20 hookworms saw a Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) level drop from 3.0 units to 1.8 units within the first year, which restored their insulin resistance to a healthy range. The cohort with 40 hookworms still experienced a drop, from 2.4 to 2.0. Those who received the placebo saw their HOMA-IR levels increase from 2.2 to 2.9 during the same time frame.

Image source: James Cook University.