title: Shaping the immune response to parasites: role of dendritic cells.
abstract: Parasites represent a diverse group of pathogens that often trigger highly polarized immune responses that become tightly regulated during chronic infection. Recent studies have implicated the parasite-dendritic-cell interaction as a key determinant of the host response to these eukaryotic invaders. Dendritic cells appear to be pivotal in the initiation of cellular immunity against parasites as well as in directing Th1/Th2 effector choice. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that parasites regulate dendritic-cell function for the purposes of evading host immunity. This regulation also benefits parasites by protecting their host niche from the potentially lethal consequences of an uncontrolled inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-8003, USA. asher@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sher
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pearce
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaye
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000276:immunology; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins