Worms' World

21st Century Outlook

Abstract

The development of veterinary parasitology is reviewed through the last 100 years. The age of discovery of species and their life cycles set the scene for studies of the biology, pathophysiology and immunological responses directed against them. Anthelmintics have undergone major developments, now have high efficacy but other issues such as the environmental impact are increasingly dominant necessitating considerations of genetic resistance to disease and the production of novel vaccines such as the use of hidden antigenic determinants of the gut of helminths. Future developments include the synthesis of T cell reactive polypeptides and the avoidance of immunosuppressive epitopes. Not withstanding developments in the immunological field it is recognised that major developments can flow from a deeper understanding of the biology and molecular biology of helminths.