"It Can Kill Anything You Throw at It." ‘Skinwalker’ Parasite Kills Human Cells and Wears Their Remains as a Disguise to Escape Death

"It Can Kill Anything You Throw at It." ‘Skinwalker’ Parasite Kills Human Cells and Wears Their Remains as a Disguise to Escape Death

New analysis by scientists from the University of California, Davis has determined that an invasive ‘Skinwalker’ parasite that kills thousands of people every year uses pieces of its prey’s “skin” as a disguise to evade detection. Dubbed Entamoeba histolytica, previous studies have unlocked several clues on how this deadly parasite, which is typically found in developing countries that lack clean water, can evade the human immune system. However…

A new analysis by scientists at the University of California, Davis, has determined that an invasive parasite called “Skinwalker”, which kills thousands of people each year, uses pieces of the “skin” of its prey as a disguise to evade detection. Baptized as Entamoeba histolytica, previous studies have revealed several clues about how this [...]

Biologists have discovered that Entamoeba histolytica, a particularly resistant single-cell amoeba, escapes the immune system by nibbling host cells and wearing their remains as a disguise. This ability is due to a genetic function that allows the parasite to control at will the expression of its genes. These new data have paved the way for a therapeutic strategy that could offer new avenues against the pathogen. Assigning about 10% of the world…