Vaccine against autoimmune disease: can helminths or their products provide a therapy?

There is an increasing interest in exploiting the immunomodulatory effects of helminths and their products in treatment of diseases such as allergy, autoimmunity and inflammatory bowel disease. Detailed examination of the ways in which helminth derived products interact with the host immune system and with host physiology has revealed that these may be multifaceted and have almost certainly arisen following co-evolution of helminths and their hosts. Clinical trials have been initiated with encouraging results in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and also Multiple Sclerosis. Identification of key pathways that are manipulated by helminths to ameliorate ongoing inflammatory conditions increases the prospect of developing novel therapies for the treatment and possible prevention of a range of debilitating and life threatening conditions.

► Lack of exposure to parasite infections contributes to increased incidence of autoimmune diseases. ► Parasites influence both innate and adaptive arms of the immune response to modulate inflammation. ► Parasites can inhibit onset of experimental autoimmune and allergic conditions. ► Epidemiology and clinical trials support therapeutic use of helminths to dampen inflammation. ► Parasite products can modulate the immune response and aid development of novel therapeutics.