Taeniids
Cestodes belonging to the genus Taenia can cause neurological damage (neurocysticercosis) in humans and a variety of economically important diseases in livestock. Adult tapeworms exist relatively innocuously in the gastrointestinal tract of their hosts. Tapeworm segments (proglottids) containing eggs are released into the environment where the eggs may be ingested by livestock or wildlife. Larvae that emerge from the eggs enter host tissues and develop into cysticerci (cysts). When these cysts are eaten by a susceptible predator, they develop into adult tapeworms. When tapeworm eggs are directly ingested by humans and develop into cysts that impinge on nervous tissue, neurocysticercosis occurs. For more information on taeniids visit: http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~parasite/taenia.html.
Our lab is principally working on cysticerci and their relationship with the host. These cysts can grow robustly within the tissues of immune competent hosts, often becoming quite large, and generally elicit little or no immune response. We hope a better understanding of host-parasite interactions will lead to better therapies or vaccines.