Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania have found an immune system cell can “remember” a parasite’s attack and help the body mount a more effective defense against subsequent invasions by the same parasite. The finding, published in the October issue of Nature Medicine, will likely aid efforts to develop a vaccine for Leishmania major, a parasite that infects approximately 12 million people worldwide, causing significant death and disfigurement. It may also help efforts to develop vaccines for other pathogens including AIDS and tuberculosis.
