The tegument of Schistosoma mansoni: functional and immunological features.

Some structural, biophysical and molecular features of the tegument are shown, highlighting their changes during maturation as important adaptative mechanisms for the survival of the parasite and resistance to immune attack. On the other hand, many antigens, targets of the immune response against the schistosome, are located on the tegument. Some of the features of these molecules are presented and the possibilities of using them in the immunological control of the disease are discussed.