Monique Lutz

Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

McCord, Elzie

Keywords

Hygiene Hypothesis, Helminth, Autoimmune

Area of Concentration

Natural Sciences

Abstract

Since the 1950s there has been an unprecedented rise in the prevalence of allergies and autoimmune diseases in developed countries. The 'hygiene hypothesis' is one of several explanations as to why this may be occurring. It hypothesizes that excessive sanitation and antibiotic use has drastically changed the microbial environment and our susceptibility to them. The hypothesis attributes the lack of immune system interactions with helminths and microbes to poor immune health and development. Research in this field has evolved from epidemiologic observations to the discovery of immune regulation mechanisms. Treatments that utilize parasitic worms and microbes have shown promising results in treating some autoimmune diseases, showing that the hypothesis may be valid. Further research into autoimmune and allergic disorders may provide future preventative treatments that include immune exposures to helminths and other organisms.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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