Experimental Approaches to Studying the Immunology of Parasitic Diseases

Abstract

The immune system plays a central role in recognizing and controlling the spread and impact on the host of infectious organisms. In the case of parasitic infections this task is complicated by the fact that many eukaryotic parasites have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for evading the immune response. Consequently, many diseases caused by parasites are chronic in nature and result in prolonged and excessive immune responsiveness which in itself can be deleterious. The study of immune responses to parasites has been important not only because of the potential for improving human and animal health through immunological means such as vaccination, but also because the extreme nature of many parasite-induced responses allow insights into the functioning of the immune system itself.