Tegumental proteins of Schistosoma mansoni: complex biomolecules and potent antigens

Autor: Andrew J. G. Simpson
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 1992
Předmět:
Zdroj: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Vol 87, Pp 11-17 (1992)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0074-0276
1678-8060
DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02761992000800002
Popis: The passive transfer of monoclonal antibodies, direct vaccination and in vitro assays have all shown that antigens associated with the tegumental membranes of Schistosoma mansoni are capable of mediating protective immune responses against the parasite in animal models. Furthermore, the principal antigens are highly antigenic during natural infection in man and stimulate strong humoral and cellular responses although, at present, their role in mediating protective immune responses in man remains equivocal. This presentation will review the current state of knowledge of the structure and expression of the major antigenic tegumental proteins of the schistosome and will attempt to relate the relevance of their structural features to possible function both in terms of protective immunity and parasite's ability to survive within the definitive host. A focus will be recent advances that have been made in the identification of means of anchoring of the antigenic proteins to the tegumental membrane. In addition, the implications of the structural complexity of the tegumental proteins in terms of their possible utility in vaccination and diagnosis will be considered.
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