Particles from the Echinococcus granulosus Laminated Layer Inhibit CD40 Upregulation in Dendritic Cells by Interfering with Akt Activation.

The larval stage of the cestode causes cystic echinococcosis in humans and livestock. This larva is protected by the millimeter-thick, mucin-based laminated layer (LL), from which materials have to be shed to allow parasite growth. We previously reported that dendritic cells (DCs) respond to microscopic pieces of the mucin gel of the LL (pLL) with unconventional maturation phenotypes, in the absence or presence of Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS).