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).
H. polygyrus is among the most intensively studied helminth immunomodulation models – its effects have been known for over 50 years, from times when it was still known as Nematospiroides dubius. A list of publications covering the period 1973-2011 is given on this page.
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