With an estimated 1.6 million new cases of cancer to be diagnosed this year, finding a cure for the disease remains a top priority for many researchers. Now, investigators have looked to a parasite commonly found in cat feces – Toxoplasma gondii – to create a cancer vaccine.

T. gondii is a single-celled parasite that resides in the intestines of any warm-blooded animal, although its ideal environment is a cat’s intestines.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say a parasite commonly found in cat feces – T. gondii – could hold the key to a cancer vaccine.

The parasite can be contracted through eating undercooked, contaminated meat, drinking contaminated water and ingesting it by coming into contact with cat feces that contain T. gondii. This can happen when cleaning a cat litter tray, for example.

T. gondii can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis, which can trigger flu-like symptoms and muscle aches and pains. Severe forms of the disease – most common among those with a weak immune system – can cause brain, eye or organ damage. However, the majority of people infected with T. gondii do not experience any symptoms.

According to the researchers of this latest study – including David J. Bzik, PhD, and Barbara Fox of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH – they already knew that T. gondii has anti-cancer properties.

They explain that when the parasite enters the human body, cells that effectively fight cancer – such as cytotoxic T cells – are produced as a response. The team says that although cancer can shut down the body’s immune system, T. gondii can help restart it.