Helminthic therapy and kidney diseases

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Acute kidney injury

• 2023 Oct 10 Protective effect of recombinant Schistosoma japonicum cystatin against acute kidney injury associated with acute liver failure in mice (Chinese)

See Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) below

See also

• 2025 Oct When Parasites Attack the Kidneys: A Case of Severe AKI from Ascaris lumbricoides-Induced Acute Interstitial Nephritis (Conference)
• 2020 Feb 24 Emerging Roles of Interleukin-33-responsive Kidney Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells in Acute Kidney Injury

Autoimmune kidney diseases

See Glomerulonephritis / IgA nephropathy (IgAN) / Lupus nephritis / Rapidly-progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN)

• Three reports by the same person.

I am currently on immunosuppressant drugs for an autoimmune kidney disease (which I have been on for 6 years), and the first time I ever saw actual improvement in my condition was when I got my worms (the drugs only slowed the progress of the disease - they never made my kidney function actually improve)” [1]

5 weeks post my first inoculation with hw, my kidney function has increased another 5%, for a total of a TEN PERCENT increase so far (now at 27%)! Prior to hw infection, my function was at 17% and dropping fast. I did not anticipate to have such wonderful results so soon." [2]
A further update at 8 months reported a setback after minor surgery and a course of antibiotics had put this individual’s worms out of action temporarily. Nevertheless...

The incredible part of the story is that within a few days of my worms waking up, my kidney function dramatically improved… and… is still improving. In the month since my worms woke up - my kidney function (egfr) went from working at 10% capacity (kidney failure) to now being at 35%. I love my worms. And I am never going on antibiotics again.” [3]

Diabetic nephropathy

See also

• 2025 Sep 18 Gut microbiota dysbiosis in diabetic nephropathy: mechanisms and therapeutic targeting via the gut-kidney axis
• 2019 Jul 1 Diabetic gut microbiota dysbiosis as an inflammaging and immunosenescence condition that fosters progression of retinopathy and nephropathy

Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS)

See also

• 2024 Aug Investigating the Mechanisms Governing Humoral Immunity in Autoimmune Kidney Disease (Thesis, McGill)

See also (Hookworm nephrothic syndrome)

• 2025 Dec Case Report and Literature Review: Nephrotic Syndrome Induced by Hookworm Infection

Glomerulonephritis

See IgA nephropathy (IgAN) / Rapidly-progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN)

See also

• 2020 May 7 Function of immunoregulatory cytokines in glomerular kidney diseases (Thesis, Hamburg, German)

IgA nephropathy (IgAN)

See Autoimmune kidney diseases

IgA nephropathy (IgAN), also known as Berger's disease, or synpharyngitic glomerulonephritis, is a disease of the kidney (or nephropathy) and the immune system; specifically it is a form of glomerulonephritis or an inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidney. Aggressive Berger's disease (a rarer form of the disease) can attack other major organs, such as the liver, skin and heart.

After a few days of contemplating the choices of kidney dialysis in the future or some discomfort from worms (which I had none), everything made complete sense to me. Six months passed until it was time to visit the doctor again and surprise, surprise this time after two years of getting blood work that showed my number slowly getting worse now they were better than last six months. [4]

Kidney pathology

I had elevated creatine and bun levels and also have UC. Turned out I had old scar tissue in my kidneys but everything got better after helminths. Kidney scores returned to normal and UC went into total drug free remission. UC was stressing out my whole body and after getting into remission my kidneys got way happier.” [5]

Kidney transplantation

See Helminthic therapy and organ transplantation

See also Helminthic therapy and cardiometabolic conditions: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)

Podocyte injury

• 2023 Feb 20 Subclinical signs of podocyte injury associated with Circulating Anodic Antigen (CAA) in Schistosoma mansoni-infected patients in Brazil

See also

• 2020 Sep Interleukin-9 protects from early podocyte injury and progressive glomerulosclerosis in Adriamycin-induced nephropathy

Lupus nephritis

See Autoimmune kidney diseases / Helminthic therapy and lupus

• 2024 Oct Helminth derivative tuftsin-phopshorylcholine to treat autoimmunity -- Full text
• 2015 Apr The parasitic worm product ES-62 targets myeloid differentiation factor 88-dependent effector mechanisms to suppress antinuclear antibody production and proteinuria in MRL/lpr mice -- Full text | PDF
• 2014 Dec Parasites alter the pathological phenotype of lupus nephritis -- Full text
• 2014 Oct 27 Efficacité thérapeutique du composé phosphorylcholine-tuftsin dans un modèle murin de lupus -- PDF (Thesis, Nice Sophia Antipolis, french)

See also

• 2017 Apr RORγt expression in Tregs promotes systemic lupus erythematosus via IL-17 secretion, alteration of Treg phenotype and suppression of Th2 responses
• 2016 Jan Treg17 cells are programmed by Stat3 to suppress Th17 responses in systemic lupus

And there is a very positive anecdotal report of NA producing improvements in lupus nephritis:

I'm about 11 months into my HT (hookworm, for lupus and Mixed Connective Tissue Disease), and doing really well. There are long periods (days, even a week or more) when I have zero pain in my body. My recurring nephritis now sits dormant for weeks at a time... [6]

Rapidly-progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN)

alias Acute crescentic glomerulonephritis

See also

• 2024 Aug Investigating the Mechanisms Governing Humoral Immunity in Autoimmune Kidney Disease (Thesis, McGill)
• 2020 Sep Interleukin-9 protects from early podocyte injury and progressive glomerulosclerosis in Adriamycin-induced nephropathy
• 2019 Oct 10 The role of bacterial-induced tissue resident T-cells in renal autoimmune diseases (Thesis, Hamburg, German)
• 2017 Oct 27 Novel regulatory T cell subsets and their function in experimental glomerulonephritis (Thesis, Hamburg, German)
• 2017 Jul IL-33-Mediated Expansion of Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells Protects from Progressive Glomerulosclerosis
• 2017 Jan T-Bet Enhances Regulatory T Cell Fitness and Directs Control of Th1 Responses in Crescentic GN
• 2016 Feb RORγt(+)Foxp3(+) Cells are an Independent Bifunctional Regulatory T Cell Lineage and Mediate Crescentic GN
• 2014 Jan 17 Die Rolle verschiedener T-Zellsubpopulationen in der Experimentellen Autoimmunen Glomerulonephritis der Maus (Thesis, Hamburg, German)

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)

See Helminthic therapy and cardiometabolic conditions: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)

The reintroduction to the digestive tract of a controlled number of specially domesticated, mutualistic helminths (intestinal worms) in the form of microscopic eggs or larvae to reconstitute a depleted biome to treat or prevent chronic inflammation, autoimmune disease and other immune-related disorders, including allergy.

The introduction of an infectious agent into an organism. Helminth inoculation

hookworm, usually referring to the human hookworm, Necator americanus

A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.

Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which specifically affects the large intestine, or colon, causing characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset.

An intestinal worm which grows large enough to be seen with the naked eye when mature but which is microscopic when administered in helminthic therapy. Wikipedia:Helminths

the human hookworm, Necator americanus

helminthic therapy

A helminth that lives in the small intestine. Necator americanus (NA) is the only hookworm species used in helminthic therapy. Its microscopic larvae are applied periodically to the skin.