Article is lacking in substance. It's conclusion is basically that there are two types of inflammation - one designed to attack parasites (worms, etc.) the other to attack bacteria and viruses.
The theory it proposes is that because humans have basically eradicated parasitic infections, that part of the body becomes over active and leads to autoimmune disorders.
0 link to sources. I've never heard of this "dual inflammation system". Not saying it's false, just saying, show me the research. Further, show the research that somehow links the under-activity of one to full blown autoimmune disorders. Seems like a weak link.
This is all pretty standard textbook immunology. Providing sources would be a bit like citing Newton when mentioning gravity.
In the innate (first responder) system, inflammation is used as a first line of defense (which can also be detrimental), but the mechanism used depends on the target. White blood cells called eosinophils largely respond to macroparasites like worms (although they also play a secondary role in viral infection). Bacteria and fungi are largely dealt with a different cell type, neutrophils, and virus infected cells by natural killer (NK) cells.
> Helminthic therapy, an experimental type of immunotherapy, is the treatment of autoimmune diseases and immune disorders by means of deliberate infestation with a helminth or with the eggs of a helminth. Helminths are parasitic worms such as hookworms, whipworms, and threadworms that have evolved to live within a host organism on which they rely for nutrients.
Not just what the other reply said (standard immunology), this proposed theory itself is fairly standard - most immunologists would at least agree that our immune system is whack because we've eliminated parasites; they'll disagree only on the degree of importance of this particular fadotr
>It's conclusion is basically that there are two types of inflammation - one designed to attack parasites (worms, etc.) the other to attack bacteria and viruses.
No, the article doesn't say that. It says there are many types of inflamation, it mentions several types of inflammation including in response to injury,and also autoimmune diseases, and it ends with a discussion of the possibility one of the many reasons inflammation goes wrong today is an imbalance between two particular types.
I'm just saying that the way the article is written, it comes off as similar to 16th century theory of imbalance of humors [1].
It's just a very surface level explanation, lacking in substance as I said. There's something more concrete going on and this article didn't even attempt to illuminate it.
The theory it proposes is that because humans have basically eradicated parasitic infections, that part of the body becomes over active and leads to autoimmune disorders.
0 link to sources. I've never heard of this "dual inflammation system". Not saying it's false, just saying, show me the research. Further, show the research that somehow links the under-activity of one to full blown autoimmune disorders. Seems like a weak link.