What determines the success or failure of intracellular cutaneous parasites? Lessons learned from leishmaniasis

Authors

Marcus Maurer, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Blaise Dondji, Central Washington University
Esther von Stebut, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Department or Administrative Unit

Biological Sciences

Document Type

Article

Author Copyright

© Springer-Verlag 2009

Publication Date

4-25-2009

Journal

Medical Microbiology and Immunology

Abstract

Most parasitic skin infections are averted by very efficient strategies of preventing pathogen invasion. Innate immune cells such as mast cells, macrophages and dendritic cells are responsible for detecting parasites and for recruiting proinflammatory cells that help to contain and control the pathogen at sites of infection. This induces efficient adaptive immunity, which is crucially important for parasite control. Using the example of cutaneous leishmaniasis, we highlight how the skin utilizes different strategies to prevent skin infection and how containment of the infection to the skin site may reduce the harm that otherwise may result for the entire organism.

Comments

This article was originally published in Medical Microbiology and Immunology. The article from the publisher can be found here.

Due to copyright restrictions, this article is not available for free download from ScholarWorks @ CWU.

Recommended Citation

Maurer, M., Dondji, B., & von Stebut, E. (2009). What determines the success or failure of intracellular cutaneous parasites? Lessons learned from leishmaniasis. Medical Microbiology and Immunology, 198(3), 137–146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-009-0114-9