Malignant Tapeworm Cells Invade Human Host: Tapeworm Infection in Immunocompromised can possibly lead to Cancer A case report suggests that human tapeworm (Hymenolepis nana) cells could undergo malignant transformation and ultimately invade the human host's tissue. H. nana completes its life cycle in the small intestine lasting years. A 41-year-old HIV-infected man was under scanner due extraintestinal H. nana infection. Disease progressed despite albendazole and antiretroviral therapy, and the patient died. It was suspected that a possible malignant transformation in parasite has lead to this.
Studies on samples from lymph-node and lung biopsies using PCR demonstrated 99% sequence homology with H. nana. This supported a cestode origin of the cells. Genomic sequencing showed mutations seen in cancer. Surprise : The findings are great surprise. It is a chance discovery. This has lead…
