Immunomodulation by filarial parasites.

Anuradha, R.; Babu, S.

International Trends in Immunity; 2013; 1; 12-20.

Abstract: Approximately 200 million people are infected with the major forms of filarial parasites causing the diseases - lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and loiasis. Even though infections by these pathogens are generally not fatal, they are associated with high rates of morbidity, and disability. Helminths are master regulators of host immune responses, developing complex mechanisms to dampen host protective Th2-type responses and favour long-term persistence. In order to chronically infect their hosts, filarial nematodes have produced a range of approaches to evade and down-modulate the host's immune system. Evasion mechanisms ensure mutual survival of both the parasite and the host. In this review we discuss recent findings on the cells that are targeted by helminths and the molecules and mechanisms that are induced during infection and also examine recent findings on helminth-derived molecules that can be used as tools to identify the underlying mechanisms of immune regulation or to determine new anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

Keywords: Filariasis, Helminth, Immuno modulation, Regulation

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