Ivermectin: New Research Into How It Works on Parasites

[tcmgpt13]

The following research into two filarial parasitic diseases has proven that ivermectin is not a drug which only kills parasites, but also interrupts a process within the parasites, a process which enables these parasites to hide from the human immune response and proliferate within the body. It is hoped that this research will enable scientists to make additional medications which even more effectively and directly target these parasites in the body. The article does contain some science (to warn those who do not like to read scientific articles):

Researchers discover how key drug kills worms in tropical diseases MSU News, Nov 10 2010

In a major breakthrough that comes after decades of research and nearly half a billion treatments in humans, scientists have finally unlocked how a key anti-parasitic drug kills the worms brought on by the filarial diseases river blindness and elephantitis.

Understanding how the drug ivermectin works has the potential to lead to new treatments for the diseases, in which the body is infected with parasitic worms, said Charles Mackenzie, a professor of veterinary pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and researcher on the project. The diseases afflict about 140 million people worldwide, doing much of their damage in equatorial Africa.

'Ivermectin is one of the most important veterinary and human anti-parasitic agents ever,' Mackenzie said. 'Knowing specifically how it interacts with the body's own immune system and kills parasitic worms opens up whole new treatment avenues.'

The research appears in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) is caused by tiny worms spread via mosquitoes and results in severe swelling of the legs, arms and torso. River blindness (onchocerciasis) is spread by black flies, and after the worms die in a person's eye, they can cause blindness and debilitating skin disease.

Ivermectin works by killing the first stage of the worm in the human body, and also appears to paralyze the reproductive tract of the adult female worms, stopping reproduction of new parasites.

What the researchers discovered is that the drug does this by preventing the worm from secreting proteins through a pore in its mid-body; ivermectin binds to receptors at the pore and blocks the secretions. It is the secretions that normally block a person's ability to attack and kill the worm; after the drug prevents them, the host's own immune system is able to attack and kill the parasites.

'Understanding how the worms were avoiding the host's immune responses will greatly enhance our ability to manipulate the immune system to the advantage of the host, and perhaps develop vaccines,' Mackenzie said. 'Also, one of the most important challenges in the overall effort against filarial infections relates to the development of resistance and the loss of efficacy of the drugs we use; this new knowledge provides an important key to understanding and perhaps preventing resistance.'

Ivermectin was developed by pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. in the 1970s. It was donated in 1987 for use to treat river blindness, as existing drugs were in fact inducing blindness. Ivermectin was able to be used safely in mass drug administration programs in many developing countries, shifting the paradigm for how public health programs delivered medicines in rural areas. The drug then was used in other parasitic disease programs, such as the one for elephantiasis, treating more than 100 million people for that disease.

Mackenzie has worked for more than 20 years on tropical filarial diseases, much of that time partnering with Tim Geary at McGill University in Montreal. Geary's lab was critical in the ivermectin findings, as was McGill graduate student Yovany Moreno. Geary and Mackenzie also recently were awarded $2 million from the Gates Foundation to study another anti-filarial drug, flubendazole.

research.msu.edu/stories/researchers-discover-how-key-drug-kills-worms-tropical-diseases.

[Janice]

What are you counting on people not reading this, so they buy into your little brief description in the beginning...."so the worms proliferate in your body." This is plain old dis- information... your little intro into the article .
What in the world are you trying to do???

[tcmgpt13]

quote=Janice;87390]What are you counting on people not reading this, so they buy into your little brief description in the beginning....so the worms proliferate in your body; This is plain old dis- information... your little intro into the article .
What in the world are you trying to do???quote]

Planning for starters to report your post quoted here. And report your earlier 'boo ty' post as well.

What's the matter Janice, did the science in the article prove to be too difficult for you to read and understand as I warned? The warning was actually intended to help you by providing a brief synopsis (easy version) of what was in the article. Here's what you said on another thread today:

quote=janice
'Please don't get caught up in the crazy drama. Your responsibility is to get your self well. Do it safely, don't get over whelmed with all this over information from people who play scientist.' /quote]

I figured you could not read and comprehend what you called 'over information.' You cannot have it both ways you know.

[Pollyringworm]

Originally Posted by tcmgpt13

The following research into two filarial parasitic diseases has proven that ivermectin is not a drug which only kills parasites, but also interrupts a process within the parasites, a process which enables these parasites to hide from the human immune response and proliferate within the body. It is hoped that this research will enable scientists to make additional medications which even more effectively and directly target these parasites in the body. The article does contain some science (to warn those who do not like to read scientific articles):

Researchers discover how key drug kills worms in tropical diseases MSU News, Nov 10 2010

In a major breakthrough that comes after decades of research and nearly half a billion treatments in humans, scientists have finally unlocked how a key anti-parasitic drug kills the worms brought on by the filarial diseases river blindness and elephantitis.

Understanding how the drug ivermectin works has the potential to lead to new treatments for the diseases, in which the body is infected with parasitic worms, said Charles Mackenzie, a professor of veterinary pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and researcher on the project. The diseases afflict about 140 million people worldwide, doing much of their damage in equatorial Africa.

'Ivermectin is one of the most important veterinary and human anti-parasitic agents ever,' Mackenzie said. 'Knowing specifically how it interacts with the body's own immune system and kills parasitic worms opens up whole new treatment avenues.'

The research appears in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Elephantiasis (lymphatic filariasis) is caused by tiny worms spread via mosquitoes and results in severe swelling of the legs, arms and torso. River blindness (onchocerciasis) is spread by black flies, and after the worms die in a person's eye, they can cause blindness and debilitating skin disease.

Ivermectin works by killing the first stage of the worm in the human body, and also appears to paralyze the reproductive tract of the adult female worms, stopping reproduction of new parasites.

What the researchers discovered is that the drug does this by preventing the worm from secreting proteins through a pore in its mid-body; ivermectin binds to receptors at the pore and blocks the secretions. It is the secretions that normally block a person's ability to attack and kill the worm; after the drug prevents them, the host's own immune system is able to attack and kill the parasites.

'Understanding how the worms were avoiding the host's immune responses will greatly enhance our ability to manipulate the immune system to the advantage of the host, and perhaps develop vaccines,' Mackenzie said. 'Also, one of the most important challenges in the overall effort against filarial infections relates to the development of resistance and the loss of efficacy of the drugs we use; this new knowledge provides an important key to understanding and perhaps preventing resistance.'

Ivermectin was developed by pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. in the 1970s. It was donated in 1987 for use to treat river blindness, as existing drugs were in fact inducing blindness. Ivermectin was able to be used safely in mass drug administration programs in many developing countries, shifting the paradigm for how public health programs delivered medicines in rural areas. The drug then was used in other parasitic disease programs, such as the one for elephantiasis, treating more than 100 million people for that disease.

Mackenzie has worked for more than 20 years on tropical filarial diseases, much of that time partnering with Tim Geary at McGill University in Montreal. Geary's lab was critical in the ivermectin findings, as was McGill graduate student Yovany Moreno. Geary and Mackenzie also recently were awarded $2 million from the Gates Foundation to study another anti-filarial drug, flubendazole.

research.msu.edu/stories/researchers-discover-how-key-drug-kills-worms-tropical-diseases.

Interesting. Im leaning towards lyme being the main disease with parasitical coinfections. All must be treated, obviously. I guess the question for everyone is what coinfection do they have, and what approach to take to eliminate it. But i think the lyme must be addressed first.

[tcmgpt13]

I am not sure about that order because my ID doctor explained that treatment is like an onion. The top layer is treated first and in my case that was the viral infections I had. By that time I was no longer going to him, but the recent ear infection was treated with doxy. The improvement in energy is what is experienced by many who have lyme. So now not sure what the next step is though I hope to find a lyme literate doctor at some point. Right now doing okay so just treading water. BTW thanks for changing the subject...

quote=Pollyringworm;87399]Interesting. Im leaning towards lyme being the main disease with parasitical coinfections. All must be treated, obviously. I guess the question for everyone is what coinfection do they have, and what approach to take to eliminate it. But i think the lyme must be addressed first.[/quote]

[Pollyringworm]

Originally Posted by tcmgpt13

I am not sure about that order because my ID doctor explained that treatment is like an onion. The top layer is treated first and in my case that was the viral infections I had. By that time I was no longer going to him, but the recent ear infection was treated with doxy. The improvement in energy is what is experienced by many who have lyme. So now not sure what the next step is though I hope to find a lyme literate doctor at some point. Right now doing okay so just treading water. BTW thanks for changing the subject...

quote=Pollyringworm;87399]Interesting. Im leaning towards lyme being the main disease with parasitical coinfections. All must be treated, obviously. I guess the question for everyone is what coinfection do they have, and what approach to take to eliminate it. But i think the lyme must be addressed first.

[/quote]


Well since i really have no idea what my coinfection is, lt alone how to treat it, im just going to try to focus on what i know and hope the other infections become apparent as im treated.

I was pleasantly surprised today. I went to my gp, and he knew a lot about lyme and didnt treat me like an idiot when i went over my story of the past year. He wasnt sold on trying the western blot as i asked, but i was greatful for the respect i was given. I literally cried on the way home.

He even asked about morgellons and wrote it down to research later. It made me proud. I hope he continues to be this helpful.

[tcmgpt13]

Well that is good to hear Polly. Heartwarming. You mentioned going to have a test done by the military so if that's who your GP is associated with you are fortunate indeed, but it could be limiting him as to tests he is allowed to run for you. There are some good and caring doctors out there, it just takes time to find them which is very sad especially as many with our symptoms have no to limited access to medical care. If you can get your doc to write a script for your local lab (like Lab Corp) you could pay for that one test yourself if it's not too expensive. Just a thought. BTW hope he continues to be helpful too--especially as you mentioned the M word...always a risk to introduce that into the conversation.

Quote=PollyWell since i really have no idea what my coinfection is, lt alone how to treat it, im just going to try to focus on what i know and hope the other infections become apparent as im treated.

I was pleasantly surprised today. I went to my gp, and he knew a lot about lyme and didnt treat me like an idiot when i went over my story of the past year. He wasnt sold on trying the western blot as i asked, but i was greatful for the respect i was given. I literally cried on the way home.

He even asked about morgellons and wrote it down to research later. It made me proud. I hope he continues to be this helpful.[/quote]

[Pollyringworm]

Originally Posted by tcmgpt13

Well that is good to hear Polly. Heartwarming. You mentioned going to have a test done by the military so if that's who your GP is associated with you are fortunate indeed, but it could be limiting him as to tests he is allowed to run for you. There are some good and caring doctors out there, it just takes time to find them which is very sad especially as many with our symptoms have no to limited access to medical care. If you can get your doc to write a script for your local lab (like Lab Corp) you could pay for that one test yourself if it's not too expensive. Just a thought. BTW hope he continues to be helpful too--especially as you mentioned the M word...always a risk to introduce that into the conversation.

Quote=PollyWell since i really have no idea what my coinfection is, lt alone how to treat it, im just going to try to focus on what i know and hope the other infections become apparent as im treated.

I was pleasantly surprised today. I went to my gp, and he knew a lot about lyme and didnt treat me like an idiot when i went over my story of the past year. He wasnt sold on trying the western blot as i asked, but i was greatful for the respect i was given. I literally cried on the way home.

He even asked about morgellons and wrote it down to research later. It made me proud. I hope he continues to be this helpful.

[/quote]

Well he may change his tune once he looks it up. We will see. He isnt my military doctor. They are another option i will look into. The eliza test went through labquest. Im not holding my breath on that result. Its an awful test. He tried to test my daughter too, but her veins are so small they couldnt find them. Im going to take her slip to the pediatric er later to get it done.

Ill call the military clinic tomorrow and see what i can get done. Id really like the western blot to be available. Well see. Whats your take on the bands? Do you think one band is positive, or the cdc guidelines are correct with three specific bands?

[Baraka Obam]

Yes if you told him, some day soon you want to get copies of all your records from him so you can READ them.

The understanding look and the uh huh, mmm, yes yes, thats all kinda like, placating the patient so they do not get all wild.

I had the doctors at dermatology surround me and do some kind of devil chant, LOL, I laughed at them even though they were kinda scary.

Really DERMATOLOGISTS can cahange into devil worshipers right before your eyes if you say itching. LOL, I am laughing but its true.

The male doctor yelled at me that he had cured HUNDREDS just like me.

The woman derm she has this, she was skin problems central with a near bald head. What a crew!!! Uncle Fester and Lurch

[absurdlyhaywired]

I almost can't stand it! That is too funny Baraka.

Did anyone happen to see a tv show that re-enacts medical cases (on cable)
I think maybe on the learning channel where a guy came to the ER saying
"This is not my face!"? Sorry I don't remember where I saw it. I don't have tv now and it's been awhile.

Anyway, the poor guy was saying his face was not his and he was a little agitated about that. The doc was checking him out and it came to light that the guy suffered mental problems and hadn't taken his meds recently
due to unpleasant side effects. But his face was changed at least for 3 or four weeks, I think.

Well, you all know what happened next. The ER doc called for the white coats,the nurses were making fun of the poor guy and the doc was leaving.

That's when the patient really looked crazy as he chased after the doc waving his photo i.d. around saying "Look doc, this isn't my face."

Gotta credit the doc for stopping and looking and sure enough, the poor guys face had really changed.

Turns out he had a late stage lung cancer. It caused much swelling in the face, neck,shoulders etc.
Man,that story blew me away.

Reminds me of our experiences when we say to our dr.-This is not a mole. These are not freckles. That's not a pimple or a boil. This is not my hair. That's not a hangnail.These aren't my arms-I can't feel 'em. And this here is not an infection. Wish I could get an infection and some medical attention. Oh,that's not dandruff. And by the look on your face...YOU are not my doctor.