The first evidence for causality came from Maria Yazdanbakhsh‘s group studying children in Gabon, in whom Schistosome infection associated with lower skin test allergic reactions to house dust mite; following anti-schistosome drug treatment allergy rates rose. Mark Wilson modelled this in mice with the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus, in which infection resulted in dramatic reductions in airway allergy to the same HDM allergen.
Heligmosomoides polygyrus products that suppress allergy
ARI, Alarmin Release Inhibitor and BARI, Binds Alarmin Receptor and Inhibits
Osbourne, M., Soares, D.C., Vacca, F., Cohen, E.S., Scott, I.C., Toivakka, M., Kemter, A., le Bihan, T., Wear, M., Smyth, D.J., Filbey, K.J., Hewitson, J.P., Henderson, J., Gonzàlez, A., Errington, C, Schwarze, J., Ivens, I.C., Maizels, R.M. and McSorley, H.J. (2017) HpARI protein secreted by a helminth parasite suppresses interleukin-33 Immunity 47: 739-751. doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2017.09.015
Vacca, F., Chauche, C., Jamwal, A., Hinchy, E.C., Heieis, G., Webster, H., Ogunkanbi, A., Sekne, Z., Gregory, W.F., Wear, M., Perona-Wright, G., Higgins, M.K., Nys, J.A., Cohen, E.S. and McSorley, H.J. (2020). A helminth-derived suppressor of ST2 blocks allergic responses. Elife 9. PMC7234810 10.7554/eLife.54017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32420871
TGM1, Transforming Growth Factor Mimic-1
Chauche, C., Rasid, O., Donachie, A.M., McManus, C.M., Loser, S., Campion, T., Richards, J., Smyth, D.J., McSorley, H.J. and Maizels, R.M. (2022). Suppression of airway allergic eosinophilia by Hp-TGM, a helminth mimic of TGF-beta. Immunology 167(2): 197-211. PMC9885513 10.1111/imm.13528. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35758054
Maizels Lab Reviews
Maizels, R.M. (2020). Regulation of immunity and allergy by helminth parasites. Allergy 75(3): 524-534. 10.1111/all.13944. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31187881
Maizels, R.M., McSorley, H.J. and Smyth, D.J. (2014). Helminths in the hygiene hypothesis – sooner or later ? Clin Exp Immunol 177: 38-46. 10.1111/cei.12353.
Maizels, R.M. (2005). Infections and allergy – helminths, hygiene and host immune regulation. Curr Opin Immunol 17: 656-661.
Publications from Leading Authors
Bohnacker, S., Troisi, F., de Los Reyes Jimenez, M. and Esser-von Bieren, J. (2020). What Can Parasites Tell Us About the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Asthma and Allergic Diseases. Front Immunol 11: 2106. PMC7516051 10.3389/fimmu.2020.02106. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33013887
McSorley, H.J., Chaye, M.A.M. and Smits, H.H. (2019). Worms: Pernicious parasites or allies against allergies? Parasite Immunol 41(6): e12574. PMC6585781 10.1111/pim.12574. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30043455
Santiago, H.C. and Nutman, T.B. (2016). Human Helminths and Allergic Disease: The Hygiene Hypothesis and Beyond. Am J Trop Med Hyg 95(4): 746-753. PMC5062766 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0348. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27573628
Smits, H.H., Everts, B., Hartgers, F.C. and Yazdanbakhsh, M. (2010). Chronic helminth infections protect against allergic diseases by active regulatory processes. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 10(1): 3-12. PMC2816799 10.1007/s11882-009-0085-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20425508
Smits, H.H., Hartgers, F.C. and Yazdanbakhsh, M. (2005). Helminth infections: protection from atopic disorders. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 5(1): 42-50. 10.1007/s11882-005-0053-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15659262