Interaction ofSchistosoma mansoniSporocysts and Hemocytes ofBiomphalaria

Abstract

Human infection bySchistosoma mansoniaffects more than 100 million people worldwide, most often in populations of developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The transmission ofS. mansoniin human populations depends on the presence of some species ofBiomphalariathat act as an intermediate host. The compatibility betweenS. mansoniand its intermediate host is influenced by behavioral, physiological, and genetical factors of the mollusc and the parasite. The susceptibility level of the mollusc has been attributed to the capacity of internal defense system (IDS)—hemocytes and soluble components of the hemolymph—to recognize and destroy the parasite, and this will be the center of interest of this paper. The schistosome-resistantBiomphalariacan be an alternative strategy for the control of schistosomiasis.