Sequence analysis showed that CsGRN was a granulin member that has 28% overall identity with human PGRN. It shared the characteristic granulin motif that was reported to be a potent proliferative agent. Additionally, CsGRN may promote carcinoma progression by prompting angiogenesis, insensitivity to apoptosis, tumour invasion and anchorage independence, all of which support tumour expansion in the unfavourable interstitial environment [25, 26]. Although the deduced protein was predicted without signal peptides, the localisation of CsGRN in the tegument and testes of C. sinensis adult worm indicated that the protein could be secreted through other pathways such as that used by F. hepatica .