Sorry, I meant to say Kerri, not Kelly, and I'm not really sure what the difference between CD and MMS is. I also don't know what additional protocol she uses to get rid of worms.

I have a friend who would say changes in nitric oxide levels and induction of specific nitric oxide synthases is the mechanism behind many immune modulatory compounds like naltrexone, minocycline, MMS, GcMAF, cbd, and many other compounds and therapies. Helminths definitely have a nitric oxide effect, so maybe that's also how they modulate the immune system. Emma Allen-Vercoe indicated that a healthy biome is very diverse, with various different species that can perform the same function. If you lose one of these species, it's not a problem as long as you have many more to do the same job. Problems arise when you have lost the last of the species that perform a specific job. She compared pictures of a lush rainforest to a barren landscape ruined by loss of species. I tend to think that we can live a perfectly healthy life without helminths as long as we have a healthy, diverse biome otherwise. When the human biome is ruined by loss of too many species, maybe the addition of helminths is a quick way to jumpstart the nitric oxide/nitric oxide synthase pathways that can alter the immune response. I don't see how that would work in kids that have an overabundance of worms. Still so much to know.

Jenny,
I have the same problem reconciling what I believe about the effectiveness of treatments to get rid of worms with this new idea that we need worms. One explanation I heard about why we see improvements when pharmaceuticals are given that get rid of worms is that these pharmaceuticals have an immune modulatory effect themselves. I might believe that as I know that's the case with some antibiotics like minocycline. Minocycline increases IL10. So maybe it's the same with the worm killing drugs. I have to say that my own experience with the worm killing drugs was that the improvements did not last much beyond the actual drug use. But the MMS Kelly is using obviously kills worms. My only thought is that it's all about balance. Some of the new add a worm treatments people are doing don't involve permanent residence of the worms. So the worms don't become a permanent part of the biome. The treatment has to be repeated every few months. This is less scary than the treatments that actually introduce a worm as a permanent residence in the biome. I think people are doing that too. The worms themselves have an immune modulatory effect. I wouldn't doubt that the worm plays an important role in the human biome, so I hope the research continues. There's so much to know!

The FDA approved Botox for chronic migraines, so maybe someday they'll approve worm therapy for autoimmune diseases. I have a hard time with how icky it sounds, but maybe I'll adjust. First I realized we shouldn't always use antibacterial soap. Now I'm starting to realize that it's not always necessary to wash hands after handling pets, though it's a habit that I can't bring myself to quit. I've always thought that clean water, working sewage systems, and sanitary practices at home were the best way to maintain health, but I guess everything has a price. I know I want my gut bugs back, and maybe I'll come to want my worms back too. Who knows?

The speaker from Duke, Dr. William Parker, was fascinating. He talked about the biome, not the microbiome, because his interest is in helminths, or worms. They are not micro. From his page on the Duke website:

"4. The biome depletion theory: We are investigating the immunological differences between laboratory-raised and wild-raised animals as a probe for differences between humans with and without modern medical care, respectively. This comprehensive approach has turned up unexpected and dramatic differences between the unhygienic and hygienic populations. Such differences likely explain the rising incidence of hyper-immune associated disorders such as allergy and autoimmune disease in countries with modern medical practice. Loss of particular components, including helminths, from the human biome is likely responsible for many of the changes, and it is hoped that this situation can be reversed."

We've all heard of "the Virus Hunter", but he calls himself "the Rat Hunter". What a colorful guy!

Does anyone know how to find the links to the archives?

Oh, thank you Teresa; this is so very exciting --I am looking so forward to it.

Hi Benedetta,

Good question.

I'll find out and let you know. Thanks!

Hi All,

I really want to attend this live but since Meg, like so many of our kids, is so ill, it is wonderful that this will be streaming live all day in case it is too hard to leave home.