A new study suggests that the parasite medication, Pyrvinium pamoate, could help treat a rare type of skin cancer.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Merkel Cell Carcinoma eludes researchers in that it’s often not clear what causes the disease.
It often starts as a small bump on the face, head or neck and can spread to other parts of the body quickly.
A team led by University of Arizona scientists found a drug that has been used to treat pinworms since the 1950s inhibited cancer cell reproduction, and in tests on mice, it even slowed tumor growth.
The drug had already been shown to have anti-tumor potential when treating several other cancers, but this the first time it’s been tested for Merkel Cell Carcinoma.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
