 Lipophosphoglycan is used by the parasite to promote its survival in the host and the mechanisms by which the parasite does this center around modulating the immune response of the host.This is vital, as the "Leishmania" parasites live within macrophages and need to prevent the macrophages from killing them.Lipophosphoglycan has a role in resisting the complement system, inhibiting the oxidative burst response, inducing an inflammation response and preventing natural killer T cells recognising that the macrophage is infected with the "Leishmania" parasite.