Rhesus macaques self-curing from a schistosome infection can display complete immunity to challenge.

ABSTRACT: The rhesus macaque provides a unique model of acquired immunity against schistosomes, which afflict >200 million people worldwide. By monitoring bloodstream levels of parasite-gut-derived antigen, we show that from week 10 onwards an established infection with Schistosoma mansoni is cleared in an exponential manner, eliciting resistance to reinfection. Secondary challenge at week 42 demonstrates that protection is strong in all animals and complete in some. Antibody profiles suggest that antigens mediating protection are the released products of developing schistosomula. In culture they are killed by addition of rhesus plasma, collected from week 8 post-infection onwards, and even more efficiently with post-challenge plasma. Furthermore, cultured schistosomula lose chromatin activating mar

SUBMITTER: Amaral MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8548296 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature