Sharma Megha, Khurana Sumeeta
Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Department of Medical Parasitology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.
Trop Parasitol. 2025 Jan-Jun;15(1):2-7. doi: 10.4103/tp.tp_5_25. Epub 2025 Apr 5.
The helminthic parasites have largely been looked upon as chronic infections in developing countries causing morbidity. The helminthic parasites, unlike other microbial pathogens, are unique in the way they interact with the host's immune system. Their size, complexity, and movement within the host trigger the host's immune response toward a relative state of hyporesponsiveness, favoring cohabitation. This immunomodulation has been a topic of much debate in the last decade. This review explicitly explains how helminthic parasites are capable of modulating the host's immune system and how this immunomodulation is brought about at different stages of immune activation. The proven and postulated mechanisms of altered antigen presentation and activation of both arms of the immune system, cell-mediated and humoral, are presented. The review further summarizes what effect this immunomodulation has on bystander immune responses and how the presence of helminthic parasites can contribute to alleviating immune-dysregulation conditions in the host. An updated account of the current usage of "worm therapy" in different autoimmune diseases, allergic conditions, and even cancer therapy is presented.
在发展中国家，蠕虫寄生虫在很大程度上被视为导致发病的慢性感染源。与其他微生物病原体不同，蠕虫寄生虫与宿主免疫系统相互作用的方式独具特色。它们在宿主体内的大小、复杂性及移动会引发宿主的免疫反应，使其趋向相对低反应状态，从而有利于共生。在过去十年里，这种免疫调节一直是诸多争论的焦点。本综述明确解释了蠕虫寄生虫如何能够调节宿主的免疫系统，以及这种免疫调节在免疫激活的不同阶段是如何实现的。文中介绍了已证实的和推测的改变抗原呈递以及激活免疫系统细胞介导和体液这两个分支的机制。该综述进一步总结了这种免疫调节对旁观者免疫反应有何影响，以及蠕虫寄生虫的存在如何有助于缓解宿主体内的免疫失调状况。文中还介绍了“蠕虫疗法”目前在不同自身免疫性疾病、过敏性疾病甚至癌症治疗中的应用情况。
