You can get infected with toxoplasmosis, among others by contact with the cat. This parasitic infection can have a positive impact on human health and even life. Scientists from the US medical university have discovered that the parasite can help cure many people struggling with cancer.
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic infections. The disease is caused by Toxoplasma gondii protozoan, which lives, among others, in the digestive tract of cats. Although there is a high percentage of people infected in the world, a small number of people actually get sick. Most are vectors.
“The parasite has learned how not to kill its host.” It also does not allow the host’s organism to self-destruct, explains David J. Bzik, professor of microbiology and immunology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, in the interview.
According to the latest research, when an animal parasite is infected, the host’s immune system immediately defends itself, killing all parasitic cells. In this simple way, the host organism wins over the parasite and protects itself better against death. The so-called CD8 + T cells.
Experts say that CD8 + T cells play a huge role in cancer because they can fight it. This discovery could help many people who are struggling with cancer.
Research has already started on this topic. Scientists implanted the Toxoplasma gondii parasite mice that have cancer of the skin and ovary. Earlier, however, the parasite gene was modified so that it cannot reproduce, that is, so that it does not harm mice.
After a dozen or so days, the tumors shrank. Already after 12 days, about 90 percent. rodents with skin cancer have noticed a significant improvement. The results for mice that suffered from ovarian cancer are less optimistic. No mouse survived. Scientists explained the situation that the stage of the disease in their case had to be very advanced.
Before the drug is approved for production, it will have a lot of tests. However, there is hope that a medicine will be created that will help many sick people.
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