A role for pore-forming proteins in the pathogenesis by parasites?

Over the past decade or so, pore-forming proteins (PFPs) have been isolated from various immune cells and nonpathogenic bacteria. It is now becoming apparent that PFPs may also be produced by a number of parasites. Although far from definitive, the evidence currently available for the role of PFPs in the survival and pathogenesis by parasites in briefly presented by David Ojcius and John Ding-E Young.