Worm therapy: How would you like your medicine?

Parasite immunologists have contributed significantly to our understanding of the human immune system, to the extent that live parasites are being tested as investigational medicinal products (IMPs) and their secretions are being analysed for potentially novel and effective immune regulatory molecules (IRMs). This article expresses an opinion on the current status of research, and suggests that parasite immunologists and the pharmaceutical industry combine to source non-immunogenic IRMs from parasites selected for their immune modulatory potential. The article also suggests that parasite immunologists should be perhaps more rigorous in their choice of infection and disease models in rodents.