Vaccines Against Cestode Parasites

Abstract

Extraordinary success has been achieved in the development of vaccines for the prevention of infection with cestode parasites in their intermediate hosts. The key to this success was the identification of a brief period in the parasites' development during which they are susceptible to immune attack. In common with other eukaryotic parasites, cestode parasites are relatively insusceptible to the hosts' immune response; however, for a period of a few days or, at most, weeks, the early developing metacestode is susceptible to antibody and complement-mediated attack. Evidence of this susceptibility is clear from the occurrence of concomitant immunity to most, if not all, species of taeniid cest..