Why Alex infected himself with blood-sucking hookworms, and kept them

A feature on helminth therapy explains how some people intentionally infect themselves with human hookworms, including Necator americanus, seeking potential anti-inflammatory immune effects. The article describes how larvae burrow from a forearm application, travel through the body to the lungs, and are eventually swallowed to reach the intestines, where they attach to feed. Researchers have studied parasite infection as a possible treatment approach for conditions linked to inflammation and immune regulation, but evidence from larger trials on allergies, inflammatory bowel disease and insulin resistance is mixed or inconclusive. After studies, participants are commonly offered deworming tablets; many refuse, reporting they feel better or see no harm in keeping the worms. The piece also recounts how Professor Alex Loukas began a self-experiment after joint aches.