Experimental Parasitology - Rick Maizels' Group - University of ...

(Behnke, et al., 2009). Most strikingly, the multiple immunomodulatory effects of this organism
provide fine detail about the mechanisms of parasite immune evasion, allowing new strategies to
be developed to enhance immune protection and achieve elimination of helminth infections. At
the same time, the intensifying interest in the effects of some helminth species in counteracting
immunopathologies such as allergies and autoimmunity (Wilson and Maizels, 2004, Elliott, et al.,
2007) and the recognition of helminths as a rich source of new immunomodulatory molecules
(Hewitson, et al., 2009, Johnston, et al., 2009) gives added impetus to the molecular studies of
helminth secreted products as described above. Together, these new directions point towards new
strategies for vaccination and therapeutic intervention to eliminate nematode parasitism, and to
alleviate the diseases of immune hyper-reactivity, in both cases restoring the normal homestasis of
the immune system.
Maizels et al Hydra Special Issue Page 21