2019 CVM News: Using Immune Response against Parasites

Abstract

This news item from Cornell Research is about: Our bodies are invaded by pathogens regularly. To combat that onslaught, our immune system has evolved clever ways to fight foreign invaders. How it identifies pathogens and then initiates resistance is imperfectly understood, especially when it comes to parasite infections. “It’s really important to understand how mammals regulate successful immune response against parasites because that will inform the development of better drugs and vaccines against these infections,” says Elia Tait Wojno, Microbiology and Immunology. “Although we currently have drugs that combat parasite infections, even after they are applied successfully, many hosts will become re-infected and the diseases associated with those infections can be severe.”