Trichuris Suis Ova Treatment in Left-sided Ulcerative Colitis

The cause of UC, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is not well understood. It is believed to be caused from an abnormal immune response to the normal bacteria that live in the gut (intestines and colon). This response acts as an "attack" on the healthy tissue of the bowel by a person's own immune cells which leads to disease. It is well known that autoimmune diseases such as IBD, asthma, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis are more common in industrialized, well-developed countries with better sanitation and hygiene, as in the United States. These "cleaner" environments reduce exposure to germs and parasites naturally found in the environment. This reduced exposure may trigger responses in the body that make people more prone to diseases such as UC. People in non-industrialized countries and the tropics, where parasites are common, rarely develop these diseases. This observation has led researchers to want to better understand the relationship between the lack of natural bacteria in the gut and the onset of autoimmune diseases like as UC.