Worms Promoting Gut Bacteria

Most people tend to avoid worms and parasites, but researchers of helminths know that these little worms may have more positive roles than we’d like to imagine. A recently published work found that parasitic worms may promote growth of probiotic bacteria that might one day help treat inflammatory bowel diseases. Prof Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim from the Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya tells us more about her role in this study, and how worms may earn their keep in our guts.