Harnessing helminth-driven immunoregulation in the search for novel therapeutic modalities.

ABSTRACT: Parasitic helminths have coevolved with humans over millennia, intricately refining and developing an array of mechanisms to suppress or skew the host's immune system, thereby promoting their long-term survival. Some helminths, such as hookworms, cause little to no overt pathology when present in modest numbers and may even confer benefits to their human host. To exploit this evolutionary phenomenon, clinical trials of human helminth infection have been established and assessed for safety and efficacy for a range of immune dysfunction diseases and have yielded mixed outcomes. Studies of live helminth therapy in mice and larger animals have convincingly shown that helminths and their excretory/secretory products possess anti-inflammatory drug-like properties and represent an untapped pharma

SUBMITTER: Ryan SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7224462 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature