AITHM James Cook University

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22 June 2017

Along with developing and strengthening health systems to combat the rampant increase in type 2 diabetes among Indigenous populations, AITHM researchers are also examining new therapeutic approaches to tackle this debilitating disease.

The CCDP team has examined the role worm infections may play in reducing the instance of metabolic syndrome and ultimately type 2 diabetes.

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of three of five medical conditions that can lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease, all of which place an enormous burden on health systems around the Tropics. In a bid to find new strategies to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, Professor McDermott’s team has conducted a review of the impact of helminth infections on metabolic outcomes in humans. Research has already established that helminth infection can play a role in modifying autoimmune and allergic diseases. Professor McDermott’s findings suggest infection could also improve metabolic outcomes and prove a step forward in the battle against diabetes.