Can cancer cells exploit strategies known from parasite biology? In the publication Cancer in Disguise: A Parasite Within, Dr. hab. Marek Wagner proposes a novel evolutionary perspective on melanoma. The paper examines similarities between cancer cells and parasites to better understand how tumors manipulate the immune system.
The immune system did not evolve solely to fight cancer. Evolutionarily, parasites were a much earlier and more widespread threat. It was in response to them that so-called type 2 immunity developed – a specialized defense mechanism activated in response to multicellular intruders.
“We wondered whether cancer cells might use similar mechanisms,” explains Dr. hab. Marek Wagner, head of the Innate Immunity Research Group at Łukasiewicz – PORT. This question became the starting point for looking at melanoma from a new perspective: not only as a collection of mutated cells, but as a system capable of adapting and manipulating the host response.
In the article Cancer in Disguise: A Parasite Within, published in “The EMBO Journal,” Dr. hab. Marek Wagner, together with Prof. Shigeo Koyasu, an immunologist from Japan, point to surprising similarities between parasites and cancer cells.
Invasion and Migration of Melanoma Cells in the Body
Parasites, in order to survive, must enter the host organism, overcome tissue barriers, and move within it. Similarly, melanoma cells – derived from melanocytes located in the deepest layer of the epidermis – must learn to leave their original location and migrate to other parts of the body. To do this, both parasites and cancer cells pave the way for further expansion in the organism by “loosening” the structure of tissues.
The Mechanism of Immunoediting
One of the key mechanisms driving tumor development is the ability to gradually evade immune surveillance. “Those cells that are most visible to the immune system are eliminated. The ones that can hide survive. It is a form of immunological selection,” says Dr. hab. Marek Wagner.
This phenomenon is referred to as immunoediting. The immune system removes the most visible cancer cells, while those that are less “visible” gain an advantage and can continue to develop. As a result, the tumor becomes more resistant to the body’s defense mechanisms.
Similar strategies are observed in parasites – they can modify the host’s immune response, weaken it, or redirect it in ways that increase their chances of survival.
The Role of Type 2 Immunity in Combating Melanoma
The team studies the role of type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) – cellular components of innate immunity that are particularly active in barrier tissues, such as the skin. Importantly, these cells – known mainly for their role in anti-parasitic responses – may also influence the tumor microenvironment.
“We have shown that cells involved in defense against parasites are also capable of destroying cancer cells. We now want to understand precisely how they recognize them and how this process takes place,” emphasizes Dr. hab. Marek Wagner.
Antiparasitic Drugs – Potential for Adjunctive Therapy
One of the most intriguing aspects of the research is the analysis of antiparasitic drugs. If certain mechanisms are shared by parasites and tumors, the question arises: could substances originally developed to combat parasites also affect cancer cells?
“Based on a review of current scientific publications, we selected several antiparasitic drugs and are testing them in melanoma cell cultures. Some of them show the ability to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells,” says Katarzyna Kurecka from the Innate Immunity Research Group, who is involved in the experimental part of the project.
At this stage, the research is conducted exclusively under laboratory conditions. Dr. hab. Marek Wagner emphasizes that this is only the beginning: “We are not saying that antiparasitic drugs should replace melanoma treatment. If they find application in the future, it will be as part of adjunctive therapy.”
Understanding the mechanism of action is crucial. Even if a given drug does not become a direct component of oncological therapy, it may help identify biological “weak points” of the tumor and point to new therapeutic targets.
Prevention Above All
Modern medicine has effective tools at its disposal – provided the disease is detected early. Prevention and the rapid surgical removal of the lesion remain the foundation of treatment. In more advanced stages, immunotherapy and targeted therapies are used. Although they have significantly improved patient survival, they are not free from side effects and do not always lead to lasting cures. For this reason, research on immune mechanisms – also from an evolutionary perspective – may open new therapeutic possibilities in the future.
The perspective of the “internal parasite” serves as a biological framework that allows tumor development to be viewed in a different way. It shows that diseases can be analyzed in a broader evolutionary context – as phenomena that exploit survival strategies already present in nature.
The research conducted by the team at Łukasiewicz – PORT does not offer simple answers or a ready-made therapy. Instead, it opens a new direction of inquiry – at the intersection of immunology, oncology, and parasite biology.
