Immunomodulatory products of the Siberian fluke Opisthorchis

Liver flukes are parasites that can infect humans and cause liver and bile duct diseases. The first intermediate hosts are the water snails, where the stages of cercariae develop and after subsequent penetration of the freshwater fish as a second intermediate host, the parasitic fluke infects the mammalian host after eating not properly cooked food. Millions of people in Asia and Eastern Europe, where these flukes are endemic, are already infected or at risk. The parasites success in infection is linked with surface sugar chains presented to the host. This protein linked carbohydrate chains, also called glycoconjugates, play a role in parasitic infection, or in the immune-host response they trigger in humans. Unfortunately, to date very little is known about structures of the bile duct flukes and especially of O. felineus. Considering the disease severity caused by the parasite, which can even induce cancer, there is a great need to expand the knowledge on the glycoconjugate structures and their interaction with the immune system. In this study, we will combine the data obtained from biological samples after analysis with powerful and sensitive machines (e.g., using mass spectrometry), to highlight the relationships of the involved biomolecules and their functions.