A Swedish study has found that patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their brains.

While previous studies had analysed inflammatory substances in the blood of patients with schizophrenia, the Swedish researchers were able to examine inflammatory factors in the patients' spinal fluid, and found raised levels of interleukin-1beta, a signal substance released in the presence of inflammation, which was not seen in anywhere near the same quantities in healthy control patients.

Interleukin-1beta is known to be able to upset the dopamine system in rats, which may explain the overactive dopamine system which has, until now, been the main focus of attention in schizophrenia in humans.

This new study inevitably raises hopes that schizophrenia may be treatable using immunotherapy, and perhaps that it might even be possible to interrupt the course of the disease at an early stage in its development.

Those who are aware of the work being done on Helminthic Therapy will be wondering if this new, natural treatment might be effective in this case, as the organisms used would seem to be ideal candidates for the role, in view of their proven track record against inflammation. However, this possibility is unlikely to be subjected to a clinical trial for some considerable time, although helminths are already available privately from Autoimmune Therapies.