{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"submitter":["Karpstein T"],"funding":["Swiss National Science Foundation"],"pagination":["1335"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8537204"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["10(10)"],"pubmed_abstract":["Drug-based treatment of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) with benzimidazoles is in most cases non-curative, thus has to be taken lifelong. Here, we report on a 56-year-old male AE patient who received standard benzimidazole treatment and biliary plastic stents, and additionally self-medicated himself with the Peruvian plant extract Maca (Lepidium meyenii). After 42 months, viable parasite tissue had disappeared. Based on this striking observation, the anti-echinococcal activity of Maca was investigated in vitro and in mice experimentally infected with Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes. Albendazole (ABZ)-treated mice and mice treated with an ABZ+Maca combination exhibited a significantly reduced parasite burden compared to untreated or Maca-treated mice. As shown by a newly established U"],"journal":["Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)"],"pubmed_title":["Maca against Echinococcosis?-A Reverse Approach from Patient to In Vitro Testing."],"pmcid":["PMC8537204"],"funding_grant_id":["192072"],"pubmed_authors":["Bresson-Hadni S","Largiader CR","Rufener R","Aebi Y","Hemphill A","Lundstrom-Stadelmann B","Chaudhry S","Schindler I","Kaethner M","Boubaker G","Karpstein T","Hayoz M","Cunha AS"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Maca against Echinococcosis?-A Reverse Approach from Patient to In Vitro Testing.","description":"Drug-based treatment of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) with benzimidazoles is in most cases non-curative, thus has to be taken lifelong. Here, we report on a 56-year-old male AE patient who received standard benzimidazole treatment and biliary plastic stents, and additionally self-medicated himself with the Peruvian plant extract Maca (Lepidium meyenii). After 42 months, viable parasite tissue had disappeared. Based on this striking observation, the anti-echinococcal activity of Maca was investigated in vitro and in mice experimentally infected with Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes. Albendazole (ABZ)-treated mice and mice treated with an ABZ+Maca combination exhibited a significantly reduced parasite burden compared to untreated or Maca-treated mice. As shown by a newly established U","dates":{"release":"2021-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2021 Oct","modification":"2025-04-21T14:49:04.558Z","creation":"2025-04-21T14:49:04.558Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC8537204","cross_references":{"pubmed":["34684284"],"doi":["10.3390/pathogens10101335"]}}