Department of Biochemistry, Glycomics Center of Emory University, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA.
Front Immunol. 2013 Aug 28;4:240. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00240. eCollection 2013.
Helminths are multicellular parasitic worms that comprise a major class of human pathogens and cause an immense amount of suffering worldwide. Helminths possess an abundance of complex and unique glycoconjugates that interact with both the innate and adaptive arms of immunity in definitive and intermediate hosts. These glycoconjugates represent a major untapped reservoir of immunomodulatory compounds, which have the potential to treat autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, and antigenic glycans, which could be exploited as vaccines and diagnostics. This review will survey current knowledge of the interactions between helminth glycans and host immunity and highlight the gaps in our understanding which are relevant to advancing therapeutics, vaccine development, and diagnostics.
寄生虫是多细胞寄生蠕虫，它们是一类主要的人类病原体，在全球范围内造成了巨大的痛苦。寄生虫拥有丰富的复杂而独特的糖缀合物，这些糖缀合物与终宿主和中间宿主的先天和适应性免疫臂相互作用。这些糖缀合物代表了一个主要的未开发的免疫调节化合物库，它们有可能治疗自身免疫和炎症性疾病，以及抗原糖，这些抗原糖可以被开发为疫苗和诊断试剂。这篇综述将调查寄生虫糖与宿主免疫之间相互作用的现有知识，并强调我们理解中的差距，这些差距与推进治疗、疫苗开发和诊断有关。
