Helminths are among the most common parasites of animals and humans. On one hand, these parasites have well documented negative effects on host health. On the other hand, helminths are strong modulators of the mammalian immune system, and their anti-inflammatory effects may benefit hosts by controlling inflammation-related disorders. Recently, it has been suggested that helminth infections may dampen increases in low-grade inflammation observed with age in mammals (i.e., inflammaging). However, helminth infections may also exacerbate inflammaging by chronically activating the host immune response. In this talk, I discuss ongoing research in my lab that is using a wild mammal-helminth system to investigate the consequences of helminth parasitism for immune aging and host fitness.
