Original broadcast date: June 7, 2009

It may not be for the squeamish but in our hygiene-centric universe, the thought of parasites contributing to human health seems foreign and for some, repulsive. Recent research presents interesting biological mechanisms within this host-parasite relationship that can regulate or influence our immune system.

In the April 22, 2009 edition of BMC Biology, researchers from Nottingham University in the UK have reported heavy body louse infestations in wood mice has a strong effect on suppressing inflammation during an immune response.

·       Dr. Jan Bradley, Professor of Parasitology at the University of Nottingham and researcher with the University’s Parasite Biology and Immunogenetics research group