Echinostomes and snails: exploring complex interactions.

Echinostomes rely on a molluskan host to achieve the asexual multiplication phase of larval stages in their complex life cycle. Here we present prominent characteristics of the Biomphalaria-Echinostoma systems and detail recent advances in our understanding of their molecular interactions. Remarkably, studies using these echinostomes, pathogens with relatively modest medical impact have shed light on important aspects of parasite strategies for immune evasion, invertebrate internal defenses, and general immunology.