Title: Immune modulation by schistosomes : mechanisms of regulatory B cell induction and inhibition of allergic asthma
Abstract: Parasitic
helminths modulate host immune responses. While the induction of type 2 immune
responses is a widely recognized feature of helminth infections, a network of
regulatory immune responses is often dominant during the chronic phase of
infection. Suppression of the host immune system during helminth infections
inhibits anti-parasite immunity, prevents tissue damage due to excessive
inflammation and conveys spill-over suppression to inflammatory conditions such
as allergy and asthma. The first part of this thesis focuses on the role of
regulatory B cells, a prominent member of the immune regulatory network, in
protection from allergic asthma by chronic Schistosoma (S.) mansoni infections.
It furthermore identifies signals required for schistosome-induced regulatory B
cell development. The second part of this thesis describes the protective
effect of S. mansoni eggs, and a specific egg-derived glycoprotein, against
allergic asthma in the absence of chronic infection. A better understanding how
helminthes including S. mansoni modulate host immune responses, and the
implications this has for inflammatory diseases such as allergic asthma, may
provide valuable leads for the development of novel pharmaceutical agents for
the treatment of allergic disorders.
Publication Year: 2019
Publication Date: 2019-02-28
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
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