Parasitic amoeba kills cells by grabbing each plate

According to a recent study, parasitic amoeba, a group of certain unspecified unicellular organisms that live in the human body, can destroy cells by biting pieces of intestinal cells until the cells This cell dies.

This is the first time scientists have witnessed this type of cell destruction, and research results will be useful in the treatment of parasitic diseases that kill children worldwide.

The researchers analyzed the type of parasitic amoeba named Entamoeba histolytica . This parasite is the cause of amoeba disease, a type of potentially life-threatening diarrhea that is common in developing countries. This is also a concern for developing countries because it can spread from immigrants and tourists.

In slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh, one-third of children are infected with parasites since they were born.

'Diarrhea is the cause of more deaths for children than malaria, tuberculosis or HIV ,' said William Petri, head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and International Health at the University of Virginia.

Amoeba (blue) eats cells (pink)

According to Petri, this type of amoeba: 'can penetrate the intestinal wall, causing colon inflammation. If infected liver causes liver abscess. However, the way Entamoeba histolytica kills cells is still a mystery over the past 111 years since this type of amoeba was named ".

Scientists once thought that this type of amoeba killed cells before hitting the cup. However, this new study proves the opposite: they chew on each piece to destroy the cells. Researcher Katherine Ralston, a cell biologist at the University of Virginia discovered this.

Observing through a microscope, Ralston saw signs of amoeba nibbling each cell array. Ralston confirmed this by fluorescent dyeing for human cells and then discovered these glowing pieces of cells in the parasite's body. A cell will be bitten many times before actually dying.

This cell killing mechanism is similar to the way the immune system works. However, the immune system does not completely destroy the object, while amoeba does the opposite. Surprisingly, amoeba does not absorb nutrients from the cells they destroy. When the cells die, they pull out the pieces of the body of cells. According to scientists, amoeba mainly lives on the bacteria that live in the human gut.

The question is if the amoeba does not destroy the cells for food, what do they do for that reason? Scientists think they do this to attack the human immune system.

'Normally, a lot of cells in the body die every day, and cells called macrophages will eat these dead cells. The process of eating this dead cell will produce chemicals that reduce inflammation in the body. Perhaps, by leaving the dead bodies, amoeba prevents inflammation that will affect them, " Petri said.

A deeper understanding of how amoeba kills cells will support the ability to prevent or treat amoeba diseases. For example, the type of amoeba in the study used a special sugar-coated protein that penetrates cells, and the development of vaccines from this protein may reduce disease symptoms. Scientists also found that drugs that reduce the production of this particular protein also prevent amoeba from eroding human body cells.

Petri shares: 'By identifying special molecules of this parasite, we have more opportunities to treat the diseases they cause without affecting humans.'