The immune response of inbred laboratory mice to Litomosoides sigmodontis: a route to discovery in myeloid cell biology

Litomosoides sigmodontis is the only filarial nematode where the full life cycle, from larval delivery to the skin through to circulating microfilaria, can be completed in immunocompetent laboratory mice. It is thus an invaluable tool for the study of filariasis. It has been used for the study of novel anti-helminthic therapeutics, the development of vaccines against filariasis, the development of immunomodulatory drugs for the treatment of inflammatory disease and the study of basic immune responses to filarial nematodes. This review will focus on the latter and aims to summarise how the L. sigmodontis model has advanced our basic understanding of immune responses to helminths, led to major discoveries in macrophage biology, and provided new insights into the immunological functions of the pleural cavity. Finally, and most importantly L. sigmodontis represents a suitable platform to study how host genotype affects immune responses, with the potential for further discovery in myeloid cell biology and beyond.