Helmedix Pty Ltd.
Treating autoimmune disorders with peptides from parasitic worms
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Medical researchers now perceive an upside to parasitic worms; several groups around the world are looking to leverage helminths’ ability to suppress a host’s immune system enough to ensure their survival, which may help calm non-viral autoimmune diseases. The founders and backers of Helmedix Pty Ltd. of Sydney, Australia, aim to develop synthetic versions of parasite-secreted molecules shown to diminish a host’s normal immune response, and turn them into peptide drugs.