ReviewInfectious agents and cancer2026
Glancing at the role of Toxoplasma gondii in neuro-oncology: from risk factor to therapeutic target.
Review in Infectious agents and cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Parasite based biotherapy for cancer therapeutic strategies and preclinical applications.Discover oncology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with brain tumors posing significant challenges due to their site and complexity. Therefore, exploring tumor pathogenesis and the discovery of novel therapeutic agents have drawn attention to the role of infectious agents. Toxoplasma gondii is a highly prevalent protozoan parasite that establishes a chronic latent infection in neural tissues. Several epidemiological studies have linked infection with Toxoplasma gondii to a higher risk of developing cancer, particularly brain tumors. However, research findings are controversial, with some reports suggesting no clear link, and others even proposing that Toxoplasma gondii infection could ignite the immune system, consequently fighting brain cancer. MAIN BODY: In this review, we screened several major scientific databases for studies published up to July 2025. We included human and experimental studies that explored the potential oncogenic and oncosuppressive effects of Toxoplasma gondii in brain tumors. While some epidemiological studies suggest that Toxoplasma gondii infection is a risk factor, others have pointed out that the incidence of this parasitic infection may be due to the opportunistic nature of the parasite, leading to reactivation of latent infection or acquiring a new infection in immunosuppressed cancer patients. Additionally, pre-clinical studies have shown that Toxoplasma gondii could boost the immune cells and modify the tumor microenvironment to fight brain tumors.
conclusionThis review emphasizes the potential role of Toxoplasma gondii as a valuable resource that warrants further exploration for its promising anti-neoplastic activity against brain cancer, as well as other types of cancer.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.