Access

News and Views

Nature Medicine 13, 1288–1289 (1 November 2007) | doi:10.1038/nm1107-1288

Worms tame mast cells

Edward J Pearce

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.