Can Parasites Be Useful?

Abstract

Parasites are commonly associated with harm, but they also have beneficial aspects that are still being discovered. It is important to acknowledge both the harmful and beneficial aspects of parasites. They have been found to have positive effects on non-healing wounds, surgical wounds, obesity, glucose metabolism disorders, nerve repair, cancer treatments, and fertility. Research has shown that helminths, protozoa, and arthropods have the ability to correct, prevent, and cure certain disorders through the use of the parasite itself, its molecules, or even its eggs. This article includes studies on the beneficial aspects of parasites. However, further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which parasites stimulate or affect the immune system and how they can be used therapeutically. © 2024 Turkish Society for Parasitology-Available online at www.turkiyeparazitolderg.org This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC-ND) 4.0 International License.