{
  "id": 7971109,
  "title": "Persistence of regenerative stem cells provides a cellular basis for the parasitostatic activity of albendazole against Echinococcus multilocularis",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/persistence-of-regenerative-stem-cells-provides-a-cellular-basis-for",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-16T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.750979v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Albendazole (ABZ) is the primary medication used to treat alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. However, its effects are more focused on preventing the parasite from regenerating rather than directly killing it. Understanding why ABZ works in this way has been challenging. This study examines how continuous ABZ exposure affects the germinative stem cells that enable metacestode growth and regeneration, and whether changes in certain proteins affect the drug's effectiveness.\n\nThe study shows that ABZ quickly disrupts the movement of parasite tissues (tegumental transport) and causes significant damage to the parasite's structures (vesicles). Yet, the germinative cells (GC) that are responsible for the parasite's ability to regenerate survive this treatment. These GC cells maintain their ability to form new parasite tissue even after the drug is stopped and continue to grow normally after being transplanted into a suitable host. By analyzing the parasite's genetic material and cell structure, researchers identified a specific version of a protein called Tub2 (known as Tub2-Y200) as the main beta tubulin found in the GC cells. Tub2 was consistently present in cells going through a specific phase of cell division (S phase) and was found near other special markers of GC cells. When the TB2 protein has certain changes (E198-Y200), it helps the cells resist the effects of ABZ.\n\nThe findings suggest that ABZ harms the parasite but leaves behind a group of cells capable of rebuilding the parasite's structure once the drug is no longer present. Additionally, the GC-associated Tub2 protein could be a key factor in the parasite's ability to survive and could be a target for new treatments aimed at curing echinococcosis.",
  "summary": "Albendazole (ABZ) is the mainstay of chemotherapy for alveolar echinococcosis caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis, but its activity is predominantly parasitostatic rather than parasiticidal. The cellular basis of this remarkable parasite persistence remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of sustained ABZ exposure on the germinative stem cells that drive…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}