The hookworm pharmacopoeia for inflammatory diseases

► Declining prevalence of parasites in developed countries correlates with increased incidence of inflammatory disorders. ► Hookworms condition the immune system to prevent autoimmune and allergic inflammatory disorders. ► Administration of hookworm excretory/secretory proteins mimics the immunomodulatory properties of live worm infection. ► Hookworm excretory/secretory proteins modulate inflammatory bowel diseases in mice. ► Hookworm molecules have progressed through phase II clinical trials as therapeutics for human diseases.