Access

News and Views


Nature Medicine 13, 1288 - 1289 (2007)
doi:10.1038/nm1107-1288

Worms tame mast cells

Edward J Pearce1

  1. Edward J. Pearce is in the Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 380 South University Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. e-mail: ejpearce@mail.med.upenn.edu


A protein produced by parasitic roundworms that inhibits the inflammatory response is shown to prevent mast cell activation. The protein could potentially be used for the management of allergies and asthma (pages 1375–1381).


Helminth nematodes are incredibly successful pathogens, afflicting billions of people and causing such 'neglected' tropical diseases as elephantiasis and river blindness. Chronic infections require a fine-tuned host-parasite relationship if both parties are to survive and reproduce.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.