Schistosomes and serpins: A complex business

The view of the schistosome host-parasite relationship has changed in the past two decades. Previously, it was thought the parasite simply defended itself in the face of a hostile host environment. However, it is now realized that the host-parasite interactions is much more of a dynamic interplay, where the parasite is able to exploit host homeostatic mechanisms for survival, maturity and transmission. Here, Jay Modha, Clare Roberts and John Kusel discuss the recent identification of serine protease inhibitors (serpins) on the schistosome surface and suggest how their properties might be exploited by the parasite.