Immunomodulation by Helminth Parasites

Immune modulation by helminth parasites is instrumental in their success, blocking protective immunity to ensure their survival. Immunomodulation also “spills over” to impact many other immune responses to “bystander” antigens that may otherwise be the targets of allergic reactions (to environmental substances), autoimmune diseases (to self antigens), and inflammatory bowel disease (to commensal bacteria). These findings have given rise to the “Hygiene Hypothesis” that posits immune dampening (originally by bacteria, but broadened to include helminths) protect from untoward immune reactivity. However, there is evidence that helminth infections can also compromise responses to vaccines.

Key Papers

Maizels, R.M., Smits, H.H. and McSorley, H.J. (2018). Modulation of host immunity by helminths: the expanding repertoire of parasite effector molecules. Immunity 49(5): 801-818. PMC6269126 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.10.016. PDF on Publisher’s website.

Ryan, S.M., Ruscher, R., Johnston, W.A., Pickering, D.A., Kennedy, M.W., Smith, B.O., Jones, L., Buitrago, G., Field, M.A., Esterman, A.J., McHugh, C.P., Browne, D.J., Cooper, M.M., Ryan, R.Y.M., Doolan, D.L., Engwerda, C.R., Miles, K., Mitreva, M., Croese, J., Rahman, T., Alexandrov, K., Giacomin, P.R. and Loukas, A. (2022). Novel antiinflammatory biologics shaped by parasite-host coevolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 119(36): e2202795119. PMC9457177 10.1073/pnas.2202795119. PDF on Publisher’s website.

Next pages…

Arguably, the most intensively-studied model systems for helminth immune modulation is now Heligmosomoides polygyrus as detailed and Schistosoma mansoni, as detailed on other pages.