The aim of this project is to study mechanisms of immunity, immune evasion and immunopathology in schistosomiasis with the ultimate goals of developing an experimental vaccine suitable for human trials as well as understanding the pathogenesis of disease. In work completed this year, the schistosome egg was shown to be the major stimulus of the Th2 response observed in infected mice. In addition, eggs as well as oviposition were shown to down regulate Th1 cytokine (IFN-gamma, and IL-2) production in vaccinated mice as well as mice with prepatent infections. IL-10 (CSIF) a newly discovered cytokine was found to be produced by T cells from infected mice and its activity may explain the observed down-regulation in Th1 cytokine synthesis.
