Parasite Destroys Cells by “Nibbling”

the MPR take:

The amoeba Entamoeba histolytica can cause intestinal ulcers, gut inflammation and life-threatening diarrhea in children in developing countries; however, the means by which the parasite causes these problems has been unknown until now. Using live microscopy, researchers at the University of Virginia discovered that the parasites were “nibbling” at the human cells to eventually kill the cells. It appeared that the parasites utilized their cytoskeleton to create force to bite off portions of nearby cells. Once the cells were killed, the remains were left and the parasites moved on to new cells. The research team is working on a vaccine to protect children against this infection and these findings have provided significant insight into how this amoeba kills cells.