Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Helminths are highly prevalent in many regions of the world. Due to the chronic nature of most helminth infections, these parasites are proficient immunomodulators of their hosts. This modulation often leads to skewed or even impaired immune responses against unrelated antigens, such as viruses and vaccines, which can be both beneficial and detrimental for the host. The extent of these effects and the impact on the outcomes of viral infection depends on a variety of factors including timing and tropism of both infections, pathological mechanisms, genetic background, and environmental factors. In this review, we dissect these complex interactions between virus and helminths in the context of coinfection and the impact of helminth infection on antiviral vaccine efficacy. We characterize the key contributing mechanisms that have been defined in preclinical models and human trials and describe the immune actors involved in the modulation of the antiviral and vaccine immune response by helminths. Finally, we address the limitations of our current understanding of helminth-virus interactions.
Source: FEMS Microbiology Reviews
Authors: Juan García-Bernalt Diego, Pritesh Desai, Stephen T Yeung, Payal Damani-Yokota, Kamal M Khanna, Michael S Diamond, Michael Schotsaert
Language: English
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,297
Awards: G1022724548, Human antibody-based countermeasures against the Wuhan Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, G1982867042, G2516069227, G2589948742, G3093823516, G337914104, Structure-based design of broad flavivirus immunogens, G3862157962, Impact of mucosal adjuvanted vaccines on virus transmission in preclinical animal models for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus infection, G4402000621, G5010103391, G5525624866, The Development and Evaluation of Pan-Coronavirus Vaccines, G8576769163, G9000089085, G9000141964, G9000189769, G9000229976, G9000248722
OpenAlex ID: W4413114166