THE ROLE OF MICROSCOPY IN THE INVESTIGATION OF PARAMYOSIN AS A VACCINE CANDIDATE AGAINST SCHISTOSOMA-JAPONICUM

There has been growing interest in paramyosin as a vaccine component t o combat schistosomiasis. Immunological and molecular techniques have been used in the past to investigate the effectiveness of a paramyosin vaccine as an anti-schistosomal treatment. However, recent localizati on studies at ultrastructural and morphological levels have highlighte d a number of questions concerning the role of paramyosin within schis tosome parasites. Debates about how a non-surface protein such as para myosin might provide protection against schistosome infections have re cently been addressed by microscopy results. Immunolocalization studie s have indicated multiple functions of paramyosin within the parasite and provided insights into how a vaccine may target the parasite, as d iscussed here by Geoffrey Gobert.