• Álvaro Díaz.
• Cátedra de Inmunología, Departamento de Biociencias (Facultad de Química) e Instituto de Química Biológica (Facultad de Ciencias), Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
• Br. Med. Bull. 2017 Dec 1; 124 (1): 121-133.

BackgroundThe neglected disease cystic echinococcosis is caused by larval Echinococcus granulosus flatworms, which form bladder-like hydatid cysts in liver, lungs, and other organs.Sources Of DataPublished literature.Areas Of AgreementEstablishing larvae are susceptible to antibody-dependent killing, as attested by successful animal vaccination, whereas once established they are partially protected by the so-called laminated layer. Host responses are Th2 dominated, with a Th1 component. Diagnostic antigens from cyst fluid are known, but responses appear absent in one-fifth of patients.Areas Of ControversyIs evasion mainly based on induction of Th2 or regulatory responses by the parasite?Growing PointsThe parasite induces regulatory responses. The laminated layer has immune-regulatory properties.Areas Timely For Developing ResearchDevelop tools for functional genomics; characterize immunologically interesting proteins suggested by genomic information; analyse infection in broader context of granulomatous responses; identify molecules secreted/excreted by intact larvae/cysts towards their outside, including diffusible immune-regulators.© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

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