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Mulate ST, Nur AM, Tasamma AT, Annose RT, Dawud EM, Ekubazgi KW, Mekonnen HD, Mohammed HY, Hailemeskel MB, Yimer SA. Colonic schistosomiasis mimicking cancer, polyp, and inflammatory bowel disease: Five case reports and review of literature. World J Gastrointest Endosc 2024; 16:472-482. [DOI: 10.4253/wjge.v16.i8.472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis, officially named as a neglected tropical disease by The World Health Organization, is a serious parasitic disease caused by trematode flukes of the genus Schistosoma. It is a common infectious disease, endemic in more than 78 countries. The disease can involve various organs and poses far-reaching public health challenges.
CASE SUMMARY Here, we present a series of five patients with variable presentations: an asymptomatic patient who was diagnosed with colonic schistosomiasis upon screening colonoscopy; 2 patients with clinical suspicion of colonic cancer; and 2 patients with a clinical diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. All patients were subsequently confirmed to have colonic schistosomiasis after colonoscopy and histopathologic examination. The clinical manifestations, colonoscopy features and histologic findings of the patients are described. Most of the patients showed significant clinical improvement following administration of oral praziquantel.
CONCLUSION Intestinal schistosomiasis can present with features mimicking other gastrointestinal conditions. This disease should be a diagnostic consideration in patients who live in or have traveled to endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebhatleab T Mulate
- Department of Internal Medicine, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Abdulsemed M Nur
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Abel T Tasamma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Rodas T Annose
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Esmael M Dawud
- Department of Internal Medicine, St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Kinfe W Ekubazgi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Hawassa University, Hawassa PO Box 05, Ethiopia
| | - Hailemichael D Mekonnen
- Department of Internal Medicine, St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa 1271, Ethiopia
| | - Hidaya Y Mohammed
- Department of Pathology, Addis Ababa University, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa 9086, Ethiopia
| | - Meron B Hailemeskel
- Department of Pathology, St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa 1271, Ethiopia
| | - Shimelis A Yimer
- Department of Pathology, Ethio Tebib General Hospital, Addis Ababa 1111, Ethiopia
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2
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Ekloh W, Asafu-Adjaye A, Tawiah-Mensah CNL, Ayivi-Tosuh SM, Quartey NKA, Aiduenu AF, Gayi BK, Koudonu JAM, Basing LA, Yamoah JAA, Dofuor AK, Osei JHN. A comprehensive exploration of schistosomiasis: Global impact, molecular characterization, drug discovery, artificial intelligence and future prospects. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33070. [PMID: 38988508 PMCID: PMC11234110 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases which affects both humans and animals, is caused by trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma. The disease is caused by several species of Schistosoma which affect several organs such as urethra, liver, bladder, intestines, skin and bile ducts. The life cycle of the disease involves an intermediate host (snail) and a mammalian host. It affects people who are in close proximity to water bodies where the intermediate host is abundant. Common clinical manifestations of the disease at various stages include fever, chills, headache, cough, dysuria, hyperplasia and hydronephrosis. To date, most of the control strategies are dependent on effective diagnosis, chemotherapy and public health education on the biology of the vectors and parasites. Microscopy (Kato-Katz) is considered the golden standard for the detection of the parasite, while praziquantel is the drug of choice for the mass treatment of the disease since no vaccines have yet been developed. Most of the previous reviews on schistosomiasis have concentrated on epidemiology, life cycle, diagnosis, control and treatment. Thus, a comprehensive review that is in tune with modern developments is needed. Here, we extend this domain to cover historical perspectives, global impact, symptoms and detection, biochemical and molecular characterization, gene therapy, current drugs and vaccine status. We also discuss the prospects of using plants as potential and alternative sources of novel anti-schistosomal agents. Furthermore, we highlight advanced molecular techniques, imaging and artificial intelligence that may be useful in the future detection and treatment of the disease. Overall, the proper detection of schistosomiasis using state-of-the-art tools and techniques, as well as development of vaccines or new anti-schistosomal drugs may aid in the elimination of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Ekloh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Andy Asafu-Adjaye
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Christopher Nii Laryea Tawiah-Mensah
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Naa Kwarley-Aba Quartey
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Albert Fynn Aiduenu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Blessing Kwabena Gayi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Laud Anthony Basing
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jennifer Afua Afrifa Yamoah
- Animal Health Division, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Animal Research Institute, Adenta-Frafraha, Accra, Ghana
| | - Aboagye Kwarteng Dofuor
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Joseph Harold Nyarko Osei
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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3
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Mureşan-Pop M, Simon S, Bodoki E, Simon V, Turza A, Todea M, Vulpoi A, Magyari K, Iacob BC, Bărăian AI, Gołdyn M, Gomes CSB, Susana M, Duarte MT, André V. Mechanochemical Synthesis of New Praziquantel Cocrystals: Solid-State Characterization and Solubility. CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN 2024; 24:4668-4681. [PMID: 38855579 PMCID: PMC11157481 DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.4c00296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
New cocrystals of praziquantel with suberic, 3-hydroxybenzoic, benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic, trimesic, and 5-hydroxyisophthalic acids were obtained through ball milling experiments. The optimal conditions for the milling process were chosen by changing the solvent volume and the mechanical action time. Supramolecular interactions in the new cocrystals are detailed based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, confirming the expected formation of hydrogen bonds between the praziquantel carbonyl group and the carboxyl (or hydroxyl) moieties of the coformers. Different structural characterization techniques were performed for all samples, but the praziquantel:suberic acid cocrystal includes a wider range of investigations such as thermal analysis, infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and SEM microscopy. The stability for up to five months was established by keeping it under extreme conditions of temperature and humidity. Solubility studies were carried out for all the new forms disclosed herein and compared with the promising cocrystals previously reported with salicylic, 4-aminosalicylic, vanillic, and oxalic acids. HPLC analyses revealed a higher solubility for most of the new cocrystal forms, as compared to pure praziquantel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieta Mureşan-Pop
- Nanostructured
Materials and Bio-Nano Interfaces Department, Interdisciplinary Research
Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai
University, 42, Treboniu
Laurian, Cluj-Napoca 400271, Romania
- INSPIRE
Research Platform, Babes-Bolyai University, 11, Arany Janos, Cluj-Napoca 400028, Romania
| | - Simion Simon
- Nanostructured
Materials and Bio-Nano Interfaces Department, Interdisciplinary Research
Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai
University, 42, Treboniu
Laurian, Cluj-Napoca 400271, Romania
- INSPIRE
Research Platform, Babes-Bolyai University, 11, Arany Janos, Cluj-Napoca 400028, Romania
| | - Ede Bodoki
- Analytical
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 4, Louis Pasteur, Cluj-Napoca 400349, Romania
| | - Viorica Simon
- Nanostructured
Materials and Bio-Nano Interfaces Department, Interdisciplinary Research
Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai
University, 42, Treboniu
Laurian, Cluj-Napoca 400271, Romania
| | - Alexandru Turza
- Mass
Spectrometry, Chromatography and Applied Physics Department, National Institute for Research and Development of
Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Cluj-Napoca 400293, Romania
| | - Milica Todea
- Nanostructured
Materials and Bio-Nano Interfaces Department, Interdisciplinary Research
Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai
University, 42, Treboniu
Laurian, Cluj-Napoca 400271, Romania
- INSPIRE
Research Platform, Babes-Bolyai University, 11, Arany Janos, Cluj-Napoca 400028, Romania
- Molecular
Sciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 4, Louis Pasteur, Cluj-Napoca 400349, Romania
| | - Adriana Vulpoi
- Nanostructured
Materials and Bio-Nano Interfaces Department, Interdisciplinary Research
Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai
University, 42, Treboniu
Laurian, Cluj-Napoca 400271, Romania
- INSPIRE
Research Platform, Babes-Bolyai University, 11, Arany Janos, Cluj-Napoca 400028, Romania
| | - Klara Magyari
- Nanostructured
Materials and Bio-Nano Interfaces Department, Interdisciplinary Research
Institute on Bio-Nano-Sciences, Babes-Bolyai
University, 42, Treboniu
Laurian, Cluj-Napoca 400271, Romania
| | - Bogdan C. Iacob
- Analytical
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 4, Louis Pasteur, Cluj-Napoca 400349, Romania
| | - Alexandra Iulia Bărăian
- Analytical
Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 4, Louis Pasteur, Cluj-Napoca 400349, Romania
| | - Mateusz Gołdyn
- Faculty of
Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in
Poznań, Uniwersytetu
Poznańskiego 8, Poznań 61-614, Poland
- Center
for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz
University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 10, Poznań 61-614, Poland
| | - Clara S. B. Gomes
- LAQV-REQUIMTE,
Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA
FCT), NOVA University of Lisbon, Caparica 2829-516, Portugal
| | - Margarida Susana
- Centro
de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de
Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - M. Teresa Duarte
- Centro
de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de
Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Vânia André
- Centro
de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de
Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
- Associação
do Instituto Superior Técnico para a Investigação
e Desenvolvimento (IST-ID), Avenida António José de Almeida, 12, Lisboa 1000-043, Portugal
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4
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Elguindy DAS, Ashour DS, Elmarhoumy SM, El-Guindy DM, Ismail HIH. The efficacy of cercarial antigen loaded on nanoparticles as a potential vaccine candidate in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. J Parasit Dis 2024; 48:381-399. [PMID: 38840868 PMCID: PMC11147980 DOI: 10.1007/s12639-024-01677-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality from parasitic diseases. Mass treatment has proven to be insufficient because of repeated infection after treatment and the appearance of strains resistant to drug therapy. Hence, immunization is a new approach to control the disease and limit the pathological consequences of schistosomiasis. To evaluate the prophylactic effect of Cercarial antigen (CAP) loaded on chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) as a potential vaccine against Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. 130 mice divided into 2 groups were used: Group I: Control groups (50 mice) subdivided into subgroup Ia (10 mice): Non-infected mice (normal control), subgroup Ib (20 mice): Schistosoma infected mice (infected control) and subgroup Ic (20 mice): Non-infected mice receiving NPs only. Group II: Vaccinated group (80 mice) subdivided equally into subgroup IIa (CAP): Received cercarial antigen and subgroup IIb (CAP + CSNP): Received cercarial antigen loaded on chitosan NPs then both vaccinated groups were infected with S. mansoni 3 weeks following the initial vaccination dose. CAP + CSNP and CAP groups showed significant reduction in adult worms count, hepatic egg count, hepatic granulomas number and size in comparison to the infected control group. Elevation of serum IgG and IgM levels, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell frequencies, IL-4, IL-10 and INF-γ levels was more significant in CAP + CSNP group than CAP group. CAP + CSNP is a promising new preparation of Schistosomal antigens that gave better results than immunization with CAP alone. CSNPs enhanced the immune and protective effect of CAP as validated by parasitological, histopathological and immunohistochemical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina A. S. Elguindy
- Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Dalia S. Ashour
- Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Sirria M. Elmarhoumy
- Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Dina M. El-Guindy
- Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Howaida I. H. Ismail
- Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
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5
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Hong A, Umar A, Chen H, Yu Z, Huang J. Advances in the study of the interaction between schistosome infections and the host's intestinal microorganisms. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:185. [PMID: 38600604 PMCID: PMC11007984 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06245-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, also called bilharziasis, is a neglected tropical disease induced by schistosomes that infects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In the life cycle of schistosomiasis, eggs are regarded as the main pathogenic factor, causing granuloma formation in the tissues and organs of hosts, which can cause severe gastrointestinal and liver granulomatous immune responses and irreversible fibrosis. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome influences the progression of schistosomiasis and plays a central role in liver disease via the gut-liver axis. When used as pharmaceutical supplements or adjunctive therapy, probiotics have shown promising results in preventing, mitigating, and even treating schistosomiasis. This review elucidates the potential mechanisms of this three-way parasite-host-microbiome interaction by summarizing schistosome-mediated intestinal flora disorders, local immune changes, and host metabolic changes, and elaborates the important role of the gut microbiome in liver disease after schistosome infection through the gut-liver axis. Understanding the mechanisms behind this interaction may aid in the discovery of probiotics as novel therapeutic targets and sustainable control strategies for schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Hong
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Abdulrahim Umar
- Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zheng Yu
- Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China.
- Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Ja'afaru SC, Uzairu A, Chandra A, Sallau MS, Ndukwe GI, Ibrahim MT, Qamar I. Ligand based-design of potential schistosomiasis inhibitors through QSAR, homology modeling, molecular dynamics, pharmacokinetics, and DFT studies. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2024; 19:429-446. [PMID: 38440085 PMCID: PMC10909894 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, is a leading cause of mortality in affected geographic areas. Currently, because no vaccine for schistosomiasis is available, control measures rely on widespread administration of the drug praziquantel (PZQ). The mass administration of PZQ has prompted concerns regarding the emergence of drug resistance. Therefore, new therapeutic targets and potential compounds are necessary to combat schistosomiasis. Methods Twenty-four potent derivatives of PZQ were optimized via density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G∗ level. Quantitative structureactivity relationship (QSAR) models were generated and statistically validated, and a lead candidate was selected to develop therapeutic options with improved efficacy against schistosomiasis. The biological and binding energies of the designed compounds were evaluated. In addition, molecular dynamics; drug-likeness; absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET); and DFT studies were performed on the newly designed compounds. Results Five QSAR models were generated, among which model 1 had favorable validation parameters (R2train: 0.957, R2adj: 0.941, LOF: 0.101, Q2cv: 0.906, and R2test: 0.783) and was chosen to identify a lead candidate. Other statistical parameters for the chosen model included variance inflation factor values ranging from 1.242 to 1.678, and a Y-scrambling coefficient (cRp2) of 0.747. Five new compounds were designed with improved predicted activity (ranging from 5.081 to 7.022) surpassing those of both the lead compound and PZQ (predicted pEC50 of 5.545). Molecular dynamics simulation revealed high binding affinity of the proposed compounds toward the target receptor. ADMET and drug-likeness assessments indicated adherence to Lipinski's rule of five criteria, thereby suggesting pharmacological and oral safety. In addition, DFT analysis indicated resistance to electronic alteration during chemical reactions. Conclusion The proposed compounds exhibited potential drug characteristics, thus indicating their suitability for further investigation to enhance schistosomiasis treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saudatu C. Ja'afaru
- Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria
- Department of Chemistry, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano, Nigeria
| | - Adamu Uzairu
- Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Anshuman Chandra
- School of Physical Sciences, JawaharLal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | | | | | | | - Imteyaz Qamar
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India
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7
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Loredan DG, Devlin JC, Khanna KM, Loke P. Recruitment and Maintenance of CX3CR1+CD4+ T Cells during Helminth Infection. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:632-644. [PMID: 38180236 PMCID: PMC10954162 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Distinct subsets of T lymphocytes express CX3CR1 under inflammatory conditions, but little is known about CX3CR1+CD4+ T cells during type 2 inflammation in helminth infections. In this study, we used a fate-mapping mouse model to characterize CX3CR1+CD4+ T cells during both acute Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and chronic Schistosoma mansoni murine models of helminth infections, revealing CX3CR1+CD4+ T cells to be an activated tissue-homing subset with varying capacity for cytokine production. Tracking these cells over time revealed that maintenance of CX3CR1 itself along with a TH2 phenotype conferred a survival advantage in the inflamed tissue. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of fate-mapped CX3CR1+CD4+ T cells from both the peripheral tissue and the spleen revealed a considerable level of diversity and identified a distinct population of BCL6+TCF-1+PD1+CD4+ T cells in the spleen during helminth infections. Conditional deletion of BCL6 in CX3CR1+ cells resulted in fewer CX3CR1+CD4+ T cells during infection, indicating a role in sustaining CD4+ T cell responses to helminth infections. Overall, our studies revealed the behavior and heterogeneity of CX3CR1+CD4+ T cells during type 2 inflammation in helminth infections and identified BCL6 to be important in their maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis G. Loredan
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Joseph C. Devlin
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kamal M. Khanna
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - P’ng Loke
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Gimmelli R, Papoff G, Saccoccia F, Lalli C, Gemma S, Campiani G, Ruberti G. Effects of structurally distinct human HDAC6 and HDAC6/HDAC8 inhibitors against S. mansoni larval and adult worm stages. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011992. [PMID: 38416775 PMCID: PMC10927086 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a major neglected parasitic disease that affects more than 240 million people worldwide caused by Platyhelminthes of the genus Schistosoma. The treatment of schistosomiasis relies on the long-term application of a single safe drug, praziquantel (PZQ). Unfortunately, PZQ is very effective on adult parasites and poorly on larval stage and immature juvenile worms; this can partially explain the re-infection in endemic areas where patients are likely to host parasites at different developmental stages concurrently. Moreover, the risk of development of drug resistance because of the widespread use of a single drug in a large population is nowadays a serious threat. Hence, research aimed at identifying novel drugs to be used alone or in combination with PZQ is needed. Schistosomes display morphologically distinct stages during their life cycle and epigenetic mechanisms are known to play important roles in parasite growth, survival, and development. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes, particularly HDAC8, are considered valuable for therapeutic intervention for the treatment of schistosomiasis. Herein, we report the phenotypic screening on both larvae and adult Schistosoma mansoni stages of structurally different HDAC inhibitors selected from the in-house Siena library. All molecules have previously shown inhibition profiles on human HDAC6 and/or HDAC8 enzymes. Among them we identified a quinolone-based HDAC inhibitor, NF2839, that impacts larval and adult parasites as well as egg viability and maturation in vitro. Importantly, this quinolone-based compound also increases histone and tubulin acetylation in S. mansoni parasites, thus representing a leading candidate for the development of new generation anti-Schistosoma chemotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Gimmelli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli", Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Giuliana Papoff
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Fulvio Saccoccia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristiana Lalli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Campiani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giovina Ruberti
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy
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Li X, Weth O, Haimann M, Möscheid MF, Huber TS, Grevelding CG. Rhodopsin orphan GPCR20 interacts with neuropeptides and directs growth, sexual differentiation, and egg production in female Schistosoma mansoni. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0219323. [PMID: 38047698 PMCID: PMC10783048 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02193-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Schistosomes cause schistosomiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases as defined by the WHO. For decades, the treatment of schistosomiasis relies on a single drug, praziquantel. Due to its wide use, there is justified fear of resistance against this drug, and a vaccine is not available. Besides its biological relevance in signal transduction processes, the class of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is also well suited for drug design. Against this background, we characterized one GPCR of Schistosoma mansoni, SmGPCR20, at the molecular and functional level. We identified two potential neuropeptides (NPPs) as ligands, SmNPP26 and SmNPP40, and unraveled their roles, in combination with SmGPCR20, in neuronal processes controlling egg production, oogenesis, and growth of S. mansoni females. Since eggs are closely associated with the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis, our results contribute to the understanding of processes leading to egg production in schistosomes, which is under the control of pairing in this exceptional parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuesong Li
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Oliver Weth
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Martin Haimann
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Max F. Möscheid
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Theresa S. Huber
- Institute for Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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10
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Woellner-Santos D, Tahira AC, Malvezzi JVM, Mesel V, Morales-Vicente DA, Trentini MM, Marques-Neto LM, Matos IA, Kanno AI, Pereira ASA, Teixeira AAR, Giordano RJ, Leite LCC, Pereira CAB, DeMarco R, Amaral MS, Verjovski-Almeida S. Schistosoma mansoni vaccine candidates identified by unbiased phage display screening in self-cured rhesus macaques. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:5. [PMID: 38177171 PMCID: PMC10767053 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00803-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a challenging neglected tropical disease, affects millions of people worldwide. Developing a prophylactic vaccine against Schistosoma mansoni has been hindered by the parasite's biological complexity. In this study, we utilized the innovative phage-display immunoprecipitation followed by a sequencing approach (PhIP-Seq) to screen the immune response of 10 infected rhesus macaques during self-cure and challenge-resistant phases, identifying vaccine candidates. Our high-throughput S. mansoni synthetic DNA phage-display library encoded 99.6% of 119,747 58-mer peptides, providing comprehensive coverage of the parasite's proteome. Library screening with rhesus macaques' antibodies, from the early phase of establishment of parasite infection, identified significantly enriched epitopes of parasite extracellular proteins known to be expressed in the digestive tract, shifting towards intracellular proteins during the late phase of parasite clearance. Immunization of mice with a selected pool of PhIP-Seq-enriched phage-displayed peptides from MEG proteins, cathepsins B, and asparaginyl endopeptidase significantly reduced worm burden in a vaccination assay. These findings enhance our understanding of parasite-host immune responses and provide promising prospects for developing an effective schistosomiasis vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy Woellner-Santos
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana C Tahira
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - João V M Malvezzi
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Vinicius Mesel
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - David A Morales-Vicente
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Monalisa M Trentini
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Lázaro M Marques-Neto
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isaac A Matos
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alex I Kanno
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriana S A Pereira
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - André A R Teixeira
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Luciana C C Leite
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento de Vacinas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos A B Pereira
- Instituto de Matemática e Estatística, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo DeMarco
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Murilo S Amaral
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Verjovski-Almeida
- Laboratório de Ciclo Celular, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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11
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Carvalho L, Sarcinelli M, Patrício B. Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 15:13-25. [PMID: 38213572 PMCID: PMC10777326 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.15.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis causes over 200,000 deaths annually. The current treatment option, praziquantel, presents limitations, including low bioavailability and resistance. In this context, nanoparticles have emerged as a promising option for improving schistosomiasis treatment. Several narrative reviews have been published on this topic. Unfortunately, the lack of clear methodologies presented in these reviews leads to the exclusion of many important studies without apparent justification. This integrative review aims to examine works published in this area with a precise and reproducible method. To achieve this, three databases (i.e., Pubmed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were searched from March 31, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The search results included only original research articles that used nanoparticles smaller than 1 µm in the treatment context. Additionally, a search was conducted in the references of the identified articles to retrieve works that could not be found solely using the original search formula. As a result, 65 articles that met the established criteria were identified. Inorganic and polymeric nanoparticles were the most prevalent nanosystems used. Gold was the primary material used to produce inorganic nanoparticles, while poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and chitosan were commonly used to produce polymeric nanoparticles. None of these identified works presented results in the clinical phase. Finally, based on our findings, the outlook appears favorable, as there is a significant diversity of new substances with schistosomicidal potential. However, financial efforts are required to advance these nanoformulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Carvalho
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, FIOCRUZ, Avenida Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Pharmaceutical Technology, Farmanguinhos, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Michelle Sarcinelli
- Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Pharmaceutical Technology, Farmanguinhos, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Patrício
- Post-Graduate Program in Industrial Pharmaceutical Technology, Farmanguinhos, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Pharmaceutical and Technological Innovation Laboratory - Department of Physiological Sciences, Biomedical Institute, R. Frei Caneca, 94, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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12
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Maharjan S, Kirk RS, Lawton SP, Walker AJ. Human growth factor-mediated signalling through lipid rafts regulates stem cell proliferation, development and survival of Schistosoma mansoni. Open Biol 2024; 14:230262. [PMID: 38195062 PMCID: PMC10776228 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the mechanisms by which schistosomes grow and develop in humans are poorly defined, their unique outer tegument layer, which interfaces with host blood, is considered vital to homeostasis of the parasite. Here, we investigated the importance of tegument lipid rafts to the biology of Schistosoma mansoni in the context of host-parasite interactions. We demonstrate the temporal clustering of lipid rafts in response to human epidermal growth factor (EGF) during early somule development, concomitant with the localization of anteriorly orientated EGF receptors (EGFRs) and insulin receptors, mapped using fluorescent EGF/insulin ligand. Methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD)-mediated depletion of cholesterol from lipid rafts abrogated the EGFR/IR binding at the parasite surface and led to modulation of protein kinase C, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt signalling pathways within the parasite. Furthermore, MβCD-mediated lipid raft disruption, and blockade of EGFRs using canertinib, profoundly reduced somule motility and survival, and attenuated stem cell proliferation and somule growth and development particularly to the fast-growing liver stage. These findings provide a novel paradigm for schistosome development and vitality in the host, driven through host-parasite interactions at the tegument, that might be exploitable for developing innovative therapeutic approaches to combat human schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shradha Maharjan
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK
| | - Ruth S. Kirk
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK
| | - Scott P. Lawton
- Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, SRUC School of Veterinary Medicine, Scotland's Rural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Anthony J. Walker
- Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames KT1 2EE, UK
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13
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Park SK, Sprague DJ, Rohr CM, Chulkov EG, Petrow I, Kumar S, Marchant JS. The anthelmintic meclonazepam activates a schistosome transient receptor potential channel. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105528. [PMID: 38043794 PMCID: PMC10788528 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic flatworms cause various clinical and veterinary infections that impart a huge burden worldwide. The most clinically impactful infection is schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic blood flukes. Schistosomiasis is treated with praziquantel (PZQ), an old drug introduced over 40 years ago. New drugs are urgently needed, as while PZQ is broadly effective it suffers from several limitations including poor efficacy against juvenile worms, which may prevent it from being completely curative. An old compound that retains efficacy against juvenile worms is the benzodiazepine meclonazepam (MCLZ). However, host side effects caused by benzodiazepines preclude development of MCLZ as a drug and MCLZ lacks an identified parasite target to catalyze rational drug design for engineering out human host activity. Here, we identify a transient receptor potential ion channel of the melastatin subfamily, named TRPMMCLZ, as a parasite target of MCLZ. MCLZ potently activates Schistosoma mansoni TRPMMCLZ through engagement of a binding pocket within the voltage-sensor-like domain of the ion channel to cause worm paralysis, tissue depolarization, and surface damage. TRPMMCLZ reproduces all known features of MCLZ action on schistosomes, including a lower activity versus Schistosoma japonicum, which is explained by a polymorphism within this voltage-sensor-like domain-binding pocket. TRPMMCLZ is distinct from the TRP channel targeted by PZQ (TRPMPZQ), with both anthelmintic chemotypes targeting unique parasite TRPM paralogs. This advances TRPMMCLZ as a novel druggable target that could circumvent any target-based resistance emerging in response to current mass drug administration campaigns centered on PZQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Kyu Park
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel J Sprague
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Claudia M Rohr
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Evgeny G Chulkov
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Ian Petrow
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Sushil Kumar
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jonathan S Marchant
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
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14
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LoVerde PT. Schistosomiasis. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1454:75-105. [PMID: 39008264 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-60121-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a major cause of morbidity in the world and almost 800 million people worldwide are at risk for schistosomiasis; it is second only to malaria as a major infectious disease. Globally, it is estimated that the disease affects more than 250 million people in 78 countries of the world and is responsible for some 280,000-500,000 deaths each year. The three major schistosomes infecting humans are Schistosoma mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. haematobium. This chapter covers a wide range of aspects of schistosomiasis, including basic biology of the parasites, epidemiology, immunopathology, treatment, control, vaccines, and genomics/proteomics. In this chapter, the reader will understand the significant toll this disease takes in terms of mortality and morbidity. A description of the various life stages of schistosomes is presented, which will be informative for both those unfamiliar with the disease and experienced scientists. Clinical and public health aspects are addressed that cover acute and chronic disease, diagnosis, current treatment regimens and alternative drugs, and schistosomiasis control programs. A brief overview of genomics and proteomics is included that details recent advances in the field that will help scientists investigate the molecular biology of schistosomes. The reader will take away an appreciation for general aspects of schistosomiasis and the current research advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip T LoVerde
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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15
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Dos Santos Nascimento IJ, Albino SL, da Silva Menezes KJ, de Azevedo Teotônio Cavalcanti M, de Oliveira MS, Mali SN, de Moura RO. Targeting SmCB1: Perspectives and Insights to Design Antischistosomal Drugs. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2264-2284. [PMID: 37921174 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673255826231011114249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries, and schistosomiasis is among the most relevant diseases worldwide. In addition, one of the two biggest problems in developing drugs against this disease is related to drug resistance, which promotes the demand to develop new drug candidates for this purpose. Thus, one of the drug targets most explored, Schistosoma mansoni Cathepsin B1 (SmCB1 or Sm31), provides new opportunities in drug development due to its essential functions for the parasite's survival. In this way, here, the latest developments in drug design studies targeting SmCB1 were approached, focusing on the most promising analogs of nitrile, vinyl sulphones, and peptidomimetics. Thus, it was shown that despite being a disease known since ancient times, it remains prevalent throughout the world, with high mortality rates. The therapeutic arsenal of antischistosomal drugs (ASD) consists only of praziquantel, which is widely used for this purpose and has several advantages, such as efficacy and safety. However, it has limitations, such as the impossibility of acting on the immature worm and exploring new targets to overcome these limitations. SmCB1 shows its potential as a cysteine protease with a catalytic triad consisting of Cys100, His270, and Asn290. Thus, design studies of new inhibitors focus on their catalytic mechanism for designing new analogs. In fact, nitrile and sulfonamide analogs show the most significant potential in drug development, showing that these chemical groups can be better exploited in drug discovery against schistosomiasis. We hope this manuscript guides the authors in searching for promising new antischistosomal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor José Dos Santos Nascimento
- Pharmacy Department, Cesmac University Center, Maceió, 57051-160, Brazil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Sonaly Lima Albino
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Karla Joane da Silva Menezes
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Misael de Azevedo Teotônio Cavalcanti
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira
- Coordination of Botany-Laboratory Adolpho Ducke, Avenida Perimetral, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, 1901, Belém, 66077-530, PA Brazil
| | - Suraj N Mali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga East, Mumbai, 400019, India
| | - Ricardo Olimpio de Moura
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
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16
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de Luna Rocha TC, Dos Santos Lima MJ, Nunes do Nascimento JL, Ferreira de Oliveira J, de Oliveira Silva E, Barbosa Dos Santos VH, de Lima Aires A, de Albuquerque Wanderley Sales V, Atanazio Rosa T, Rolim Neto PJ, Camelo Pessôa de Azevedo Albuquerque M, Alves de Lima MDC, Ferreira da Silva RM. Development and evaluation of the in vitro schistosomicidal activity of solid dispersions based on 2-(-5-bromo-1-H-indole-3-yl-methylene)-N-(naphthalene-1-ylhydrazine-carbothiamide. Exp Parasitol 2024; 256:108626. [PMID: 37972848 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Among all the neglected diseases, schistosomiasis is considered the second most important parasitic infection after malaria. Praziquantel is the most widely used drug for this disease, but its exclusive use may result in the development of drug-resistant schistosomiasis. To increase the control of the disease, new drugs have been developed as alternative treatments, among them 2-(-5-bromo-1-h-indole-3-yl-methylene)-N-(naphthalene-1-ylhydrazine-carbothiamide (LQIT/LT-50), which showed promising schistosomicidal activity in nonclinical studies. However, LQIT/LT-50 presents low solubility in water, resulting in reduced bioavailability. To overcome this solubility problem, the present study aimed to develop LQIT/LT-50 solid dispersions for the treatment of schistosomiasis. Solid dispersions were prepared through the solvent method using Soluplus©, polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K-30) as hydrophilic carriers. The formulations with the best results in the compatibility tests, aqueous solubility and preliminary stability studies have undergone solubility tests and physicochemical characterizations by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffractometry (XRD), exploratory differential calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG) and Raman spectroscopy. Finally, the schistosomicidal activity was evaluated in vitro. The phycochemical analyzes showed that when using PVP K-30, there was an interaction between the PVP K-30 and LQIT/LT-50, proving the successful development of the solid dispersion. Furthermore, an increase in the solubility of the new system was observed (LQIT/LT-50:PVP K-30) in addition to the improvement in the in vitro shistosomidal activity at 1:4 (w/w) molar ratio (i.e., 20% drug loading) when compared to LQIT/LT-50 alone. The development of the LQIT/LT-50:PVP K-30 1:4 solid dispersion is encouraging for the future development of new pharmaceutical solid formulations, aiming the schistosomicidal treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jamerson Ferreira de Oliveira
- Institute of Health Sciences, University of International Integration of Afro-Brazilian Lusophony, Redenção, Ceará, Brazil
| | | | | | - André de Lima Aires
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | | | - Talita Atanazio Rosa
- Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Pedro José Rolim Neto
- Department of Pharmacy, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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D’Abbrunzo I, Procida G, Perissutti B. Praziquantel Fifty Years on: A Comprehensive Overview of Its Solid State. Pharmaceutics 2023; 16:27. [PMID: 38258039 PMCID: PMC10821272 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16010027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This review discusses the entire progress made on the anthelmintic drug praziquantel, focusing on the solid state and, therefore, on anhydrous crystalline polymorphs, amorphous forms, and multicomponent systems (i.e., hydrates, solvates, and cocrystals). Despite having been extensively studied over the last 50 years, new polymorphs and the greater part of their cocrystals have only been identified in the past decade. Progress in crystal engineering science (e.g., the use of mechanochemistry as a solid form screening tool and more strategic structure-based methods), along with the development of analytical techniques, including Synchrotron X-ray analyses, spectroscopy, and microscopy, have furthered the identification of unknown crystal structures of the drug. Also, computational modeling has significantly contributed to the prediction and design of new cocrystals by considering structural conformations and interactions energy. Whilst the insights on praziquantel polymorphs discussed in the present review will give a significant contribution to controlling their formation during manufacturing and drug formulation, the detailed multicomponent forms will help in designing and implementing future praziquantel-based functional materials. The latter will hopefully overcome praziquantel's numerous drawbacks and exploit its potential in the field of neglected tropical diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beatrice Perissutti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy (G.P.)
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18
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Tadele T, Astatkie A, Tadesse BT, Makonnen E, Aklillu E, Abay SM. Efficacy and safety of praziquantel treatment against Schistosoma mansoni infection among pre-school age children in southern Ethiopia. Trop Med Health 2023; 51:72. [PMID: 38124206 PMCID: PMC10731898 DOI: 10.1186/s41182-023-00562-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preventive chemotherapy with a single dose of praziquantel given to an all-at-risk population through mass drug administration is the cornerstone intervention to control and eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem. This intervention mainly targets school age children, and pre-school age children (pre-SAC) are excluded from receiving preventive chemotherapy, partly due to scarcity of data on praziquantel treatment outcomes. METHODS We conducted active efficacy and safety surveillance of praziquantel treatment among 240 Schistosoma mansoni-infected pre-SAC who received a single dose of praziquantel (40 mg/kg) in southern Ethiopia. The study outcomes were egg reduction rates (ERR) and cure rates (CRs) four weeks after treatment using the Kato-Katz technique and treatment-associated adverse events (AEs) that occurred within 8 days post-treatment. RESULTS The overall ERR was 93.3% (WHO reference threshold ≥ 90%), while the CR was 85.2% (95% CI = 80.0-89.5%). Baseline S. mansoni infection intensity was significantly associated with CRs, 100% among light infected than moderate (83.4%) or heavy (29.4%) infected children. An increase of 100 in baseline S. mansoni egg count per gram of stool resulted in a 26% (95% CI: 17%, 34%) reduction in the odds of cure. The incidence of experiencing at least one type of AE was 23.1% (95% CI: 18.0%, 29.0%). Stomachache, diarrhea, and nausea were the most common AEs. AEs were mild-to-moderate grade and transient. Pre-treatment moderate (ARR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.69, 6.14) or heavy infection intensity (ARR = 6.5, 95% CI: 3.62, 11.52) was a significant predictor of AEs (p < 0.001). Sex, age, or soil-transmitted helminth coinfections were not significant predictors of CR or AEs. CONCLUSIONS Single-dose praziquantel is tolerable and effective against S. mansoni infection among pre-SAC, and associated AEs are mostly mild-to-moderate and transient. However, the reduced CR in heavily infected and AEs in one-fourth of S. mansoni-infected pre-SAC underscores the need for safety and efficacy monitoring, especially in moderate-to-high infection settings. Integrating pre-SACs in the national deworming programs is recommended to accelerate the elimination of schistosomiasis as a public health problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tafese Tadele
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 1560, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Ayalew Astatkie
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 1560, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Birkneh Tilahun Tadesse
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 1560, Hawassa, Ethiopia
| | - Eyasu Makonnen
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eleni Aklillu
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Solomon Mequanente Abay
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Haapanen S, Angeli A, Tolvanen M, Emameh RZ, Supuran CT, Parkkila S. Cloning, characterization, and inhibition of the novel β-carbonic anhydrase from parasitic blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2184299. [PMID: 36856011 PMCID: PMC9980027 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2184299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosoma mansoni is an intestinal parasite with one β-class carbonic anhydrase, SmaBCA. We report the sequence enhancing, production, catalytic activity, and inhibition results of the recombinant SmaBCA. It showed significant catalytic activity on CO2 hydration in vitro with kcat 1.38 × 105 s-1 and kcat/Km 2.33 × 107 M-1 s-1. Several sulphonamide inhibitors, from which many are clinically used, showed submicromolar or nanomolar inhibitory effects on SmaBCA. The most efficient inhibitor with a KI of 43.8 nM was 4-(2-amino-pyrimidine-4-yl)-benzenesulfonamide. Other effective inhibitors with KIs in the range of 79.4-95.9 nM were benzolamide, brinzolamide, topiramate, dorzolamide, saccharin, epacadostat, celecoxib, and famotidine. The other tested compounds showed at least micromolar range inhibition against SmaBCA. Our results introduce SmaBCA as a novel target for drug development against schistosomiasis, a highly prevalent parasitic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Haapanen
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland,CONTACT Susanna Haapanen Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, 33520, Finland
| | - Andrea Angeli
- Neurofarba Department, Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Nutraceutica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Martti Tolvanen
- Department of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Reza Zolfaghari Emameh
- Department of Energy and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran
| | - Claudiu T. Supuran
- Neurofarba Department, Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Nutraceutica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Seppo Parkkila
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland,Fimlab Ltd, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
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20
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Xie S, Lu Y, Wang J, Lin C, Ye P, Liu X, Xiong W, Zeng Z, Zeng D. Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of milbemycin oxime and praziquantel in plasma: application to a pharmacokinetic study in cats. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1285932. [PMID: 37964913 PMCID: PMC10642303 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1285932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Milbemycin oxime (MBO) and praziquantel (PZQ) have a broad spectrum of biological activity and are commonly used to treat the parasitic infection in the veterinary clinic. In this study, a fast and efficient LC-MS/MS method was established and validated for the simultaneous determination of MBO, PZQ, cis-4-hydroxylated-PZQ (C-4-OH-PZQ) and trans-4-hydroxylated-PZQ (T-4-OH-PZQ) and in cat plasma. Methods Extraction of analytes and internal standards from cat plasma by acetonitrile protein precipitation, allows rapid processing of large batches of samples. MBO, PZQ, C-4-OH-PZQ, T-4-OH-PZQ, and internal standard (IS) were eluted for 13.5 min on a C18 column with a 0.1% formic acid water/acetonitrile mixture as the mobile phase. Results Results showed that the method had good precision, accuracy, recovery, and linearity. The linearity range was 2.5-250 ng/mL for MBO, and 10-1000 ng/mL for PZQ, C-4-OH-PZQ, and T-4-OH-PZQ. The intra-day and inter-day precision CV values of the tested components were within 15%. The extraction recoveries of the four components ranged from 98.09% to 107.46%. The analytes in plasma remained stable for 6 h at room temperature, 26 h in the autosampler (4 °C), after freeze-thaw (-20°C) cycles, and 60 days in a -20°C freezer. Method sensitivity sufficed for assessing pharmacokinetic parameters of MBO, PZQ, C-4-OH-PZQ, and T-4-OH-PZQ in plasma samples with LLOQ of 2.5 ng/mL for MBO and 10 ng/mL for PZQ, C-4-OH-PZQ, and T-4-OH-PZQ. Conclusion In this study, a selective and sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous quantification of MBO, PZQ, C-4-OH-PZQ, and T-4-OH-PZQ in cat plasma was developed and validated.This method had been successfully applied to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of MBO, PZQ, C-4-OH-PZQ, and T-4-OH-PZQ after a single oral administration of 8 mg MBO and 20 mg PZQ in cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiting Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yixing Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Changcheng Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiyu Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaolin Liu
- Livcare (Guangdong) Animal Health Co., Ltd, Qingyuan, China
| | - Wenguang Xiong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenling Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongping Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, Guangzhou, China
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21
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Aboagye IF, Addison YAA. Praziquantel efficacy, urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis reinfection - a systematic review. Pathog Glob Health 2023; 117:623-630. [PMID: 36394218 PMCID: PMC10498796 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2022.2145070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Praziquantel (PZQ) has been extensively used as the drug of choice for the treatment of schistosomiasis on account of its safety and effectiveness against all major forms of schistosomiasis. However, low cure rate, reduced susceptibility of Schistosoma mansoni to PZQ and treatment failures in S. haematobium infections have been reported, raising concerns about its efficacy. Using the search terms, 'praziquantel efficacy, schistosomiasis, school children, reinfection' as well as defined inclusion criteria, and guided by the PRISMA guidelines, articles from 2001 to 2022 were selected from the PubMed and Google Scholar databases and reviewed to assess their importance to the research question. This review assessed the efficacy of PZQ against schistosomiasis and reinfection rates following treatment of Schistosoma infections in children. Majority of both intestinal and urinary schistosomiasis studies reported comparable egg reduction rates (ERRs) of 94.2% to 99.9% and 91.9% to 98%, respectively. However, ERRs suggestive of sub-optimal PZQ efficacy as well as generally high and comparable cure rates for intestinal (81.2%-99.1%) and urinary (79%-93.7%) schistosomiasis studies were reported. Schistosomiasis reinfection rates varied widely for urinary (8.1%-39.6%) and intestinal (13.9%-63.4%) studies within eight to 28 weeks following PZQ treatment. Praziquantel treatment of urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis should be accompanied by the provision of potable water, toilet, and recreational facilities to reduce reinfection and egg reduction rates and increase cure rate to expedite schistosomiasis elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Frimpong Aboagye
- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana
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22
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Otarigho B, Falade MO. Natural Perylenequinone Compounds as Potent Inhibitors of Schistosoma mansoni Glutathione S-Transferase. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1957. [PMID: 37895339 PMCID: PMC10608284 DOI: 10.3390/life13101957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The existing treatment strategy for Schistosomiasis centers on praziquantel, a single drug, but its effectiveness is limited due to resistance and lack of preventive benefits. Thus, there is an urgent need for novel antischistosomal agents. Schistosoma glutathione S-transferase (GST) is an essential parasite enzyme, with a high potential for targeted drug discovery. In this study, we conducted a screening of compounds possessing antihelminth properties, focusing on their interaction with the Schistosoma mansoni glutathione S-transferase (SmGST) protein. We demonstrated the unique nature of SmGST in comparison to human GST. Evolutionary analysis indicated its close relationship with other parasitic worms, setting it apart from free-living worms such as C. elegans. Through an assessment of binding pockets and subsequent protein-ligand docking, we identified Scutiaquinone A and Scutiaquinone B, both naturally derived Perylenequinones, as robust binders to SmGST. These compounds have exhibited effectiveness against similar parasites and offer promising potential as antischistosomal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson Otarigho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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23
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D'Abbrunzo I, Bianco E, Gigli L, Demitri N, Birolo R, Chierotti MR, Škorić I, Keiser J, Häberli C, Voinovich D, Hasa D, Perissutti B. Praziquantel meets Niclosamide: A dual-drug Antiparasitic Cocrystal. Int J Pharm 2023; 644:123315. [PMID: 37579827 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we report a successful example of combining drugs through cocrystallization. Specifically, the novel solid is formed by two anthelminthic drugs, namely praziquantel (PZQ) and niclosamide (NCM) in a 1:3 molar ratio, and it can be obtained through a sustainable one-step mechanochemical process in the presence of micromolar amounts of methanol. The novel solid phase crystallizes in the monoclinic space group of P21/c, showing one PZQ and three NCM molecules linked through homo- and heteromolecular hydrogen bonds in the asymmetric unit, as also attested by SSNMR and FT-IR results. A plate-like habitus is evident from scanning electron microscopy analysis with a melting point of 202.89 °C, which is intermediate to those of the parent compounds. The supramolecular interactions confer favorable properties to the cocrystal, preventing NCM transformation into the insoluble monohydrate both in the solid state and in aqueous solution. Remarkably, the PZQ - NCM cocrystal exhibits higher anthelmintic activity against in vitro S. mansoni models than corresponding physical mixture of the APIs. Finally, due to in vitro promising results, in vivo preliminary tests on mice were also performed through the administration of minicapsules size M.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia D'Abbrunzo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Emma Bianco
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Lara Gigli
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 Km 163.5 in Area Science Park, Basovizza-Trieste, Italy.
| | - Nicola Demitri
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste, S.S. 14 Km 163.5 in Area Science Park, Basovizza-Trieste, Italy.
| | - Rebecca Birolo
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Torino, V. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Michele R Chierotti
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Torino, V. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy.
| | - Irena Škorić
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 19, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel 4000, Switzerland
| | - Cécile Häberli
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel 4000, Switzerland
| | - Dario Voinovich
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Dritan Hasa
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
| | - Beatrice Perissutti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
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Faiad SM, Williams MA, Goodman M, Sokolow S, Olden JD, Mitchell K, Andriantsoa R, Gordon Jones JP, Andriamaro L, Ravoniarimbinina P, Rasamy J, Ravelomanana T, Ravelotafita S, Ravo R, Rabinowitz P, De Leo GA, Wood CL. Temperature affects predation of schistosome-competent snails by a novel invader, the marbled crayfish Procambarus virginalis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290615. [PMID: 37703262 PMCID: PMC10499222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The human burden of environmentally transmitted infectious diseases can depend strongly on ecological factors, including the presence or absence of natural enemies. The marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) is a novel invasive species that can tolerate a wide range of ecological conditions and colonize diverse habitats. Marbled crayfish first appeared in Madagascar in 2005 and quickly spread across the country, overlapping with the distribution of freshwater snails that serve as the intermediate host of schistosomiasis-a parasitic disease of poverty with human prevalence ranging up to 94% in Madagascar. It has been hypothesized that the marbled crayfish may serve as a predator of schistosome-competent snails in areas where native predators cannot and yet no systematic study to date has been conducted to estimate its predation rate on snails. Here, we experimentally assessed marbled crayfish consumption of uninfected and infected schistosome-competent snails (Biomphalaria glabrata and Bulinus truncatus) across a range of temperatures, reflective of the habitat range of the marbled crayfish in Madagascar. We found that the relationship between crayfish consumption and temperature is unimodal with a peak at ~27.5°C. Per-capita consumption increased with body size and was not affected either by snail species or their infectious status. We detected a possible satiation effect, i.e., a small but significant reduction in per-capita consumption rate over the 72-hour duration of the predation experiment. Our results suggest that ecological parameters, such as temperature and crayfish weight, influence rates of consumption and, in turn, the potential impact of the marbled crayfish invasion on snail host populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Faiad
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Maureen A. Williams
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Department of Biology, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD, United States of America
| | - Maurice Goodman
- Hopkins Marine Station, Dept. of Oceans and of Earth System Science, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Susanne Sokolow
- Hopkins Marine Station, Dept. of Oceans and of Earth System Science, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
| | - Julian D. Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Kaitlyn Mitchell
- Hopkins Marine Station, Dept. of Oceans and of Earth System Science, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Ranja Andriantsoa
- Réseau International Schistosomiase Environnement Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL) Madagascar, Madagascar
| | | | - Luciano Andriamaro
- Réseau International Schistosomiase Environnement Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL) Madagascar, Madagascar
| | | | - Jeanne Rasamy
- Réseau International Schistosomiase Environnement Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL) Madagascar, Madagascar
- Department of Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Tsilavina Ravelomanana
- Réseau International Schistosomiase Environnement Aménagement et Lutte (RISEAL) Madagascar, Madagascar
- Department of Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Salohy Ravelotafita
- Department of Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Ranaivosolo Ravo
- Department of Zoology and Animal Biodiversity, University of Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Peter Rabinowitz
- Department of Environmental/Occupational Health Sciences, Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
- Center for One Health Research (COHR), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Giulio A. De Leo
- Hopkins Marine Station, Dept. of Oceans and of Earth System Science, Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Chelsea L. Wood
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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Wit J, Dilks CM, Zhang G, Guisbert KSK, Zdraljevic S, Guisbert E, Andersen EC. Praziquantel inhibits Caenorhabditis elegans development and species-wide differences might be cct-8-dependent. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286473. [PMID: 37561720 PMCID: PMC10414639 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthelmintic drugs are used to treat parasitic roundworm and flatworm infections in humans and other animals. Caenorhabditis elegans is an established model to investigate anthelmintics used to treat roundworms. In this study, we use C. elegans to examine the mode of action and the mechanisms of resistance against the flatworm anthelmintic drug praziquantel (PZQ), used to treat trematode and cestode infections. We found that PZQ inhibited development and that this developmental delay varies by genetic background. Interestingly, both enantiomers of PZQ are equally effective against C. elegans, but the right-handed PZQ (R-PZQ) is most effective against schistosome infections. We conducted a genome-wide association mapping with 74 wild C. elegans strains to identify a region on chromosome IV that is correlated with differential PZQ susceptibility. Five candidate genes in this region: cct-8, znf-782, Y104H12D.4, Y104H12D.2, and cox-18, might underlie this variation. The gene cct-8, a subunit of the protein folding complex TRiC, has variation that causes a putative protein coding change (G226V), which is correlated with reduced developmental delay. Gene expression analysis suggests that this variant correlates with slightly increased expression of both cct-8 and hsp-70. Acute exposure to PZQ caused increased expression of hsp-70, indicating that altered TRiC function might be involved in PZQ responses. To test if this variant affects development upon exposure to PZQ, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to introduce the V226 allele into the N2 genetic background (G226) and the G226 allele into the JU775 genetic background (V226). These experiments revealed that this variant was not sufficient to explain the effects of PZQ on development. Nevertheless, this study shows that C. elegans can be used to study PZQ mode of action and resistance mechanisms. Additionally, we show that the TRiC complex requires further evaluation for PZQ responses in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janneke Wit
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Clayton M. Dilks
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Gaotian Zhang
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Karen S. Kim Guisbert
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, United States of America
| | - Stefan Zdraljevic
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
- Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
| | - Eric Guisbert
- Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, United States of America
| | - Erik C. Andersen
- Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States of America
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26
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Kasago FM, Häberli C, Keiser J, Masamba W. Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Praziquantel Analogues and New Molecular Hybrids as Potential Antimalarial and Anti-Schistosomal Agents. Molecules 2023; 28:5184. [PMID: 37446846 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28135184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria and schistosomiasis are two of the neglected tropical diseases that persistently wreak havoc worldwide. Although many antimalarial drugs such as chloroquine are readily available, the emergence of drug resistance necessitates the development of new therapies to combat this disease. Conversely, Praziquantel (PZQ) remains the sole effective drug against schistosomiasis, but its extensive use raises concerns about the potential for drug resistance to develop. In this project, the concept of molecular hybridization was used as a strategy to design the synthesis of new molecular hybrids with potential antimalarial and antischistosomal activity. A total of seventeen molecular hybrids and two PZQ analogues were prepared by coupling 6-alkylpraziquanamines with cinnamic acids and cyclohexane carboxylic acid, respectively. The synthesised compounds were evaluated for their antimalarial and antischistosomal activity; while all of the above compounds were inactive against Plasmodium falciparum (IC50 > 6 µM), many were active against schistosomiasis with four particular compounds exhibiting up to 100% activity against newly transformed schistosomula and adult worms at 50 µM. Compared to PZQ, the reference drug, the activity of which is 91.7% at 1 µM, one particular molecular hybrid, compound 32, which bears a para-isopropyl group on the cinnamic acid moiety, exhibited a notable activity at 10 µM (78.2% activity). This compound has emerged as the front runner candidate that might, after further optimization, hold promise as a potential lead compound in the fight against schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freddy Mugisho Kasago
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Nelson Mandela Drive, Mthatha 5117, South Africa
| | - Cécile Häberli
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstr. 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstr. 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Wayiza Masamba
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Nelson Mandela Drive, Mthatha 5117, South Africa
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Zhu P, Wu K, Zhang C, Batool SS, Li A, Yu Z, Huang J. Advances in new target molecules against schistosomiasis: A comprehensive discussion of physiological structure and nutrient intake. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011498. [PMID: 37498810 PMCID: PMC10374103 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a severe parasitic disease, is primarily caused by Schistosoma mansoni, Schistosoma japonicum, or Schistosoma haematobium. Currently, praziquantel is the only recommended drug for human schistosome infection. However, the lack of efficacy of praziquantel against juvenile worms and concerns about the emergence of drug resistance are driving forces behind the research for an alternative medication. Schistosomes are obligatory parasites that survive on nutrients obtained from their host. The ability of nutrient uptake depends on their physiological structure. In short, the formation and maintenance of the structure and nutrient supply are mutually reinforcing and interdependent. In this review, we focus on the structural features of the tegument, esophagus, and intestine of schistosomes and their roles in nutrient acquisition. Moreover, we introduce the significance and modes of glucose, lipids, proteins, and amino acids intake in schistosomes. We linked the schistosome structure and nutrient supply, introduced the currently emerging targets, and analyzed the current bottlenecks in the research and development of drugs and vaccines, in the hope of providing new strategies for the prevention and control of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kaijuan Wu
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chaobin Zhang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Syeda Sundas Batool
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Anqiao Li
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- XiangYa School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zheng Yu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- China-Africa Research Center of Infectious Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Petukhova VZ, Aboagye SY, Ardini M, Lullo RP, Fata F, Byrne ME, Gabriele F, Martin LM, Harding LNM, Gone V, Dangi B, Lantvit DD, Nikolic D, Ippoliti R, Effantin G, Ling WL, Johnson JJ, Thatcher GRJ, Angelucci F, Williams DL, Petukhov PA. Non-covalent inhibitors of thioredoxin glutathione reductase with schistosomicidal activity in vivo. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3737. [PMID: 37349300 PMCID: PMC10287695 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39444-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Only praziquantel is available for treating schistosomiasis, a disease affecting more than 200 million people. Praziquantel-resistant worms have been selected for in the lab and low cure rates from mass drug administration programs suggest that resistance is evolving in the field. Thioredoxin glutathione reductase (TGR) is essential for schistosome survival and a validated drug target. TGR inhibitors identified to date are irreversible and/or covalent inhibitors with unacceptable off-target effects. In this work, we identify noncovalent TGR inhibitors with efficacy against schistosome infections in mice, meeting the criteria for lead progression indicated by WHO. Comparisons with previous in vivo studies with praziquantel suggests that these inhibitors outperform the drug of choice for schistosomiasis against juvenile worms.
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Grants
- R33 AI127635 NIAID NIH HHS
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Division of Intramural Research of the NIAID)
- Oncomelania hupensis subsp. hupensis, Chinese strain, infected with S. japonicum, Chinese strain, and Biomphalaria glabrata, strain NMRI, infected with S. mansoni, strain NMRI, were provided by the NIAID Schistosomiasis Resource Center for distribution through BEI Resources, NIAID, NIH. We are grateful to Dr. Guy Schoehn (Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble, France), Prof. Beatrice Vallone (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) and Dr. Linda C. Montemiglio (IBPM, National Research Council, Italy) for helpful discussions of the cryo-EM studies. We acknowledge the Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste (Italy) for support in X-ray data collections and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility for provision of microscope time on CM01. The study was funded in part by US NIH/NIAID R33AI127635 to F.A., P.A.P., G.R.T. and D.L.W. This work benefited from access to Research Resources Centre and UICentre at University of Illinois at Chicago and used the platforms of the Grenoble Instruct-ERIC center (ISBG; UAR 3518 CNRS-CEA-UGA-EMBL) within the Grenoble Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB), supported by FRISBI (ANR-10-INBS-0005-02) and GRAL, financed within the University Grenoble Alpes graduate school (Ecoles Universitaires de Recherche) CBH-EUR-GS (ANR-17-EURE-0003). The IBS Electron Microscope facility is supported by the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, the Fonds Feder, the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale and GIS-IBiSA. The IBS acknowledges integration into the Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble (IRIG, CEA). M.A. has been supported by MIUR - Ministero dell'Istruzione Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca (Ministry of Education, University and Research) under the national project FSE/FESR - PON Ricerca e Innovazione 2014-2020 (N° AIM1887574, CUP: E18H19000350007). We acknowledge OpenEye/Cadence for providing us with an academic license for the software used in these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Z Petukhova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sammy Y Aboagye
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matteo Ardini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Rachel P Lullo
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Francesca Fata
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Margaret E Byrne
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Federica Gabriele
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Lucy M Martin
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Luke N M Harding
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Vamshikrishna Gone
- UICentre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Bikash Dangi
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel D Lantvit
- UICentre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Dejan Nikolic
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rodolfo Ippoliti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Grégory Effantin
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Wai Li Ling
- University of Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Jeremy J Johnson
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gregory R J Thatcher
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Francesco Angelucci
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - David L Williams
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Pavel A Petukhov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Alghamdi T, Salem DA, El-Refaei MF. Anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative activity of ziziphus leaf extract as a novel potential therapeutic agent for reducing hepatic injury in experimental hamster schistosomiasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011426. [PMID: 37339146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent helminthic infections worldwide. Praziquantel (PZQ) resistance poses a possible danger to the disease's ability to be controlled. Little is known about the role of Ziziphus spina-christi leaf extract (ZLE) in the treatment of hepatic schistosomiasis. However, no study has explored ZLE's anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative activity as a possible mechanism for reducing hepatic injury in this context. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of ZLE as an anti-angiogenic, and anti-proliferative agent in hamsters infected with S. mansoni. METHODS Fifty hamsters were used and divided into 5 groups (10 hamsters each); noninfected untreated (controls), noninfected treated with ZLE, infected untreated, infected treated with PZQ- and infected treated with ZLE. Anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic effects of the drugs were assessed pathologically through the immunohistochemical expression of VEGF, Ki-67, and TGF β1 in liver sections. Some oxidative stress parameters were measured in hepatic homogenates (NO, GSH, GST, and SOD), and serum liver enzymes were also assessed. RESULTS A significant decrease in worm burden, granuloma size, granuloma area, and numbers in the ZLE- and PZQ-treated groups compared to the infected untreated group, and the decrease in granulomas number and tissue egg load was significantly lower in PZQ treated group compared to ZLE treated group (p<0.05). ZLE exhibited significant anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic effects on granulomas, illustrated by significantly lower expression of VEGF and TGF-β1 than infected untreated and PZQ-treated groups. ZLE exhibits antiproliferative activity evidenced by a significant reduction of positive Ki-67 hepatocytes percentage compared to the infected untreated group. Moreover, ZLE exhibits potent antioxidant effects evidenced by a significantly lowered NO and conservation of hepatic GSH, GST, and SOD in hepatic homogenates compared to infected untreated and PZQ-treated groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Our results point to ZLE as a promising hepatoprotective therapeutic tool in the treatment of schistosome hepatic fibrosis as it has anti-angiogenic, anti-proliferative, anti-fibrotic, and antioxidant effects in hamsters infected with S. mansoni, providing scientific support for its use in conventional medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thamer Alghamdi
- Department of Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Doaa A Salem
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia
- Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Mohamed F El-Refaei
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha Saudi Arabia
- Genetic Institute, Sadat City University, Sadat City, Egypt
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Costa DDS, Leal CM, Cajas RA, Gazolla MC, Silva LM, Carvalho LSAD, Lemes BL, Moura ROD, Almeida JD, de Moraes J, da Silva Filho AA. Antiparasitic properties of 4-nerolidylcatechol from Pothomorphe umbellata (L.) Miq. (Piperaceae) in vitro and in mice models with either prepatent or patent Schistosoma mansoni infections. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 313:116607. [PMID: 37149066 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Roots of Pothomorphe umbellata (L.) Miq. are used in traditional medicine of Africa and South America for the treatment of malaria and helminthiasis. However, neither P. umbellata nor its isolated compounds have been evaluated against Schistosoma species. AIMS OF THIS STUDY To investigate the antischistosomal effects of P. umbellata root extracts and the isolated compound 4-nerolidylcatechol (4-NC) against Schistosoma mansoni ex vivo and in murine models of schistosomiasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The crude hydroalcoholic (PuE) and hexane (PuH) extracts of P. umbellata roots were prepared and initially submitted to an ex vivo phenotypic screening against adult S. mansoni. PuH was analyzed by HPLC-DAD, characterized by UHPLC-HRMS/MS, and submitted to chromatographic fractionation, leading to the isolation of 4-NC. The anthelmintic properties of 4-NC were assayed ex vivo against adult schistosomes and in murine models of schistosomiasis for both patent and prepatent S. mansoni infections. Praziquantel (PZQ) was used as a reference compound. RESULTS PuE (EC50: 18.7 μg/mL) and PuH (EC50: 9.2 μg/mL) kill adult schistosomes ex vivo. The UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis of PuH, the most active extract, revealed the presence of 4-NC, peltatol A, and peltatol B or C. After isolation from PuH, 4-NC presented remarkable in vitro schistosomicidal activity with EC50 of 2.9 μM (0.91 μg/mL) and a selectivity index higher than 68 against Vero mammalian cells, without affecting viability of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In patent S. mansoni infection, the oral treatment with 4-NC decreased worm burden and egg production in 52.1% and 52.3%, respectively, also reducing splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. 4-NC, unlike PZQ, showed in vivo efficacy against juvenile S. mansoni, decreasing worm burden in 52.4%. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that P. umbellata roots possess antischistosomal activity, giving support for the medicinal use of this plant against parasites. 4-NC was identified from P. umbellata roots as one of the effective in vitro and in vivo antischistosomal compound and as a potential lead for the development of novel anthelmintics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo de Souza Costa
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Carla Monteiro Leal
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Rayssa A Cajas
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, 07023-070, Brazil.
| | - Matheus Coutinho Gazolla
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Lívia Mara Silva
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Lara Soares Aleixo de Carvalho
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Bruna L Lemes
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, 07023-070, Brazil.
| | - Renato Oliveira de Moura
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Juliana de Almeida
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
| | - Josué de Moraes
- Núcleo de Pesquisa em Doenças Negligenciadas, Universidade Guarulhos, Guarulhos, SP, 07023-070, Brazil.
| | - Ademar A da Silva Filho
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, R. José Lourenço Kelmer s/n, Campus Universitário, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-900, Brazil.
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Zheng Y, Schroeder S, Kanev GK, Botros SS, William S, Sabra ANA, Maes L, Caljon G, Gil C, Martinez A, Salado IG, Augustyns K, Edink E, Sijm M, de Heuvel E, de Esch IJP, van der Meer T, Siderius M, Sterk GJ, Brown D, Leurs R. To Target or Not to Target Schistosoma mansoni Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 4A? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076817. [PMID: 37047792 PMCID: PMC10095301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease with high morbidity. Recently, the Schistosoma mansoni phosphodiesterase SmPDE4A was suggested as a putative new drug target. To support SmPDE4A targeted drug discovery, we cloned, isolated, and biochemically characterized the full-length and catalytic domains of SmPDE4A. The enzymatically active catalytic domain was crystallized in the apo-form (PDB code: 6FG5) and in the cAMP- and AMP-bound states (PDB code: 6EZU). The SmPDE4A catalytic domain resembles human PDE4 more than parasite PDEs because it lacks the parasite PDE-specific P-pocket. Purified SmPDE4A proteins (full-length and catalytic domain) were used to profile an in-house library of PDE inhibitors (PDE4NPD toolbox). This screening identified tetrahydrophthalazinones and benzamides as potential hits. The PDE inhibitor NPD-0001 was the most active tetrahydrophthalazinone, whereas the approved human PDE4 inhibitors roflumilast and piclamilast were the most potent benzamides. As a follow-up, 83 benzamide analogs were prepared, but the inhibitory potency of the initial hits was not improved. Finally, NPD-0001 and roflumilast were evaluated in an in vitro anti-S. mansoni assay. Unfortunately, both SmPDE4A inhibitors were not effective in worm killing and only weakly affected the egg-laying at high micromolar concentrations. Consequently, the results with these SmPDE4A inhibitors strongly suggest that SmPDE4A is not a suitable target for anti-schistosomiasis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zheng
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Georgi K Kanev
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanaa S Botros
- Pharmacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Warrak El-Hadar, Imbaba, P.O. Box 30, Giza 12411, Egypt
| | - Samia William
- Parasitology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Warrak El-Hadar, Imbaba, P.O. Box 30, Giza 12411, Egypt
| | - Abdel-Nasser A Sabra
- Pharmacology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Warrak El-Hadar, Imbaba, P.O. Box 30, Giza 12411, Egypt
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Carmen Gil
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Martinez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas (CIB-CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Irene G Salado
- Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Koen Augustyns
- Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ewald Edink
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Sijm
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erik de Heuvel
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Iwan J P de Esch
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tiffany van der Meer
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marco Siderius
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Geert Jan Sterk
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Brown
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
| | - Rob Leurs
- Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute of Molecular and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Siddiqui AJ, Bhardwaj J, Saxena J, Jahan S, Snoussi M, Bardakci F, Badraoui R, Adnan M. A Critical Review on Human Malaria and Schistosomiasis Vaccines: Current State, Recent Advancements, and Developments. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040792. [PMID: 37112704 PMCID: PMC10146311 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria and schistosomiasis are two major parasitic diseases that remain leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Co-infections of these two parasites are common in the tropics, where both diseases are endemic. The clinical consequences of schistosomiasis and malaria are determined by a variety of host, parasitic, and environmental variables. Chronic schistosomiasis causes malnutrition and cognitive impairments in children, while malaria can cause fatal acute infections. There are effective drugs available to treat malaria and schistosomiasis. However, the occurrence of allelic polymorphisms and the rapid selection of parasites with genetic mutations can confer reduced susceptibility and lead to the emergence of drug resistance. Moreover, the successful elimination and complete management of these parasites are difficult due to the lack of effective vaccines against Plasmodium and Schistosoma infections. Therefore, it is important to highlight all current vaccine candidates undergoing clinical trials, such as pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic stage malaria, as well as a next-generation RTS,S-like vaccine, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, that conferred 77% protection against clinical malaria in a Phase 2b trial. Moreover, this review also discusses the progress and development of schistosomiasis vaccines. Furthermore, significant information is provided through this review on the effectiveness and progress of schistosomiasis vaccines currently under clinical trials, such as Sh28GST, Sm-14, and Sm-p80. Overall, this review provides insights into recent progress in malarial and schistosomiasis vaccines and their developmental approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arif Jamal Siddiqui
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Ha’il P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jyoti Bhardwaj
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Juhi Saxena
- Department of Biotechnology, University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, NH-95, Ludhiana—Chandigarh State Hwy, Mohali 140413, India
| | - Sadaf Jahan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mejdi Snoussi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Ha’il P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory of Genetics, Biodiversity and Valorization of Bio-Resources (LR11ES41), Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue TaharHaddas BP74, Monastir 5000, Tunisia
| | - Fevzi Bardakci
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Ha’il P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia
| | - Riadh Badraoui
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Ha’il P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia
- Section of Histology-Cytology, Medicine Faculty of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis 1017, Tunisia
| | - Mohd Adnan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Ha’il, Ha’il P.O. Box 2440, Saudi Arabia
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Pandya N, Kumar A. Immunoinformatics analysis for design of multi-epitope subunit vaccine by using heat shock proteins against Schistosoma mansoni. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:1859-1878. [PMID: 35040367 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2025430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The development of T cell and B cell that able provide long-term immune response against the schistosomiasisis to the people belongs to the epidemic area. Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) are up-regulated in schistosomes as their environment changes owing to the developmental cycle, assisting the parasite in living with the adverse circumstances related with its life cycle. Schistosomiasis is still a severe health problem in the people of many countries in worldwide. In this work, to develop a chimeric antigen, we used an advanced and powerful immunoinformatics technique that targeted Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) Heat shock protein (HSPs). Antigenicity, immunogenicity, allergenicity, and physicochemical characteristics were all assessed in silico for the developed subunit vaccine. The 3D structure of the vaccine was constructed and the stability of the vaccine construct was increased by using disulphide engineering. The protein-protein docking and simulation were performed between the vaccine construct and Toll-like receptor-4. The antigenicity probability value obtained for the vaccine construct was 0.93, which indicates that vaccine is non-allergenic and safe for human consumption. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirali Pandya
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Salmonella Typhimurium expressing chromosomally integrated Schistosoma mansoni Cathepsin B protects against schistosomiasis in mice. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:27. [PMID: 36849453 PMCID: PMC9969381 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00599-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis threatens hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The larval stage of Schistosoma mansoni migrates through the lung and adult worms reside adjacent to the colonic mucosa. Several candidate vaccines are in preclinical development, but none is designed to elicit both systemic and mucosal responses. We have repurposed an attenuated Salmonella enterica Typhimurium strain (YS1646) to express Cathepsin B (CatB), a digestive enzyme important for the juvenile and adult stages of the S. mansoni life cycle. Previous studies have demonstrated the prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of our plasmid-based vaccine. Here, we have generated chromosomally integrated (CI) YS1646 strains that express CatB to produce a viable candidate vaccine for eventual human use (stability, no antibiotic resistance). 6-8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were vaccinated in a multimodal oral (PO) and intramuscular (IM) regimen, and then sacrificed 3 weeks later. The PO + IM group had significantly higher anti-CatB IgG titers with greater avidity and mounted significant intestinal anti-CatB IgA responses compared to PBS control mice (all P < 0.0001). Multimodal vaccination generated balanced TH1/TH2 humoral and cellular immune responses. Production of IFNγ by both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was confirmed by flow cytometry (P < 0.0001 & P < 0.01). Multimodal vaccination reduced worm burden by 80.4%, hepatic egg counts by 75.2%, and intestinal egg burden by 78.4% (all P < 0.0001). A stable and safe vaccine that has both prophylactic and therapeutic activity would be ideal for use in conjunction with praziquantel mass treatment campaigns.
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Beutler M, Harnischfeger J, Weber MHW, Hahnel SR, Quack T, Blohm A, Ueberall ME, Timm T, Lochnit G, Rennar GA, Gallinger TL, Houhou H, Rahlfs S, Falcone FH, Becker K, Schlitzer M, Haeberlein S, Czermak P, Salzig D, Grevelding CG. Identification and characterisation of the tegument-expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase SmALDH_312 of Schistosoma mansoni, a target of disulfiram. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 251:115179. [PMID: 36948075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma and affects approximately 200 million people worldwide. Since Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug for schistosomiasis, alternatives are needed. By a biochemical approach, we identified a tegumentally expressed aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) of S. mansoni, SmALDH_312. Molecular analyses of adult parasites showed Smaldh_312 transcripts in both genders and different tissues. Physiological and cell-biological experiments exhibited detrimental effects of the drug disulfiram (DSF), a known ALDH inhibitor, on larval and adult schistosomes in vitro. DSF also reduced stem-cell proliferation and caused severe tegument damage in treated worms. In silico-modelling of SmALDH_312 and docking analyses predicted DSF binding, which we finally confirmed by enzyme assays with recombinant SmALDH_312. Furthermore, we identified compounds of the Medicine for Malaria Venture (MMV) pathogen box inhibiting SmALDH_312 activity. Our findings represent a promising starting point for further development towards new drugs for schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Beutler
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Julie Harnischfeger
- Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Michael H W Weber
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Steffen R Hahnel
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Quack
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Ariane Blohm
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Monique E Ueberall
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany; Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Timm
- Protein Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Protein Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Georg A Rennar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany, Germany
| | - Tom L Gallinger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany, Germany
| | - Hicham Houhou
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefan Rahlfs
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus Liebig University, Germany
| | - Franco H Falcone
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Katja Becker
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus Liebig University, Germany
| | - Martin Schlitzer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps Universität Marburg, Germany, Germany
| | - Simone Haeberlein
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany
| | - Peter Czermak
- Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Denise Salzig
- Institute of Bioprocess Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Applied Sciences Mittelhessen, Giessen, Germany
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Biochanin A in murine Schistosoma mansoni infection: effects on inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis. J Helminthol 2023; 97:e16. [PMID: 36740983 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x22000839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Biochanin A (BCA) is a multifunctional natural compound that possesses anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and hepatoprotective effects. The aim of the study was to assess the therapeutic efficacy of BCA on Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice. Fifty mice were divided into six different groups as non-infected, non-infected BCA-treated, infected untreated, early infected BCA-treated (seven days post-infection (dpi)), late infected BCA-treated 60 dpi and infected praziquantel (PZQ)-treated groups. Parasitological, histopathological examination and immunohistochemical staining of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) were investigated in liver sections. Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) gene expression of S. mansoni was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). A single dose of BCA significantly reduced worm burden in early (82.14%) and late infection (77.74%), mean tissue egg load in early (7.27 ± 0.495) and late BCA administration (7.63 ± 0.435) and decreased granuloma size. CYP450 mRNA expression was significantly reduced in early BCA treatment as compared to late treatment which emphasizes that early administration of BCA had more pronounced effects on worms than late administration. Both early and late BCA administration led to significant reduction in inflammatory cytokines as TGF and iNOS. Although the reduction of TGF and iNOS in BCA-treated mice was superior to PZQ, no statistically significant differences were noted. However, a significant downregulation of COX2 was noted in hepatocytes as compared to both infected control and PZQ-treated mice. BCA has schistosomicidal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-fibrotic effects and could be regarded as a potential drug in schistosomiasis treatment.
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Saad El-Din MI, Gad EL-Hak HN, Ghobashy MA, Elrayess RA. Parasitological and histopathological studies to the effect of aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves combined with praziquantel therapy in modulating the liver and spleen damage induced by Schistosoma mansoni to male mice. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:15548-15560. [PMID: 36169837 PMCID: PMC9908685 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23098-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed the effectiveness of an aqueous extract of Moringa Oleifera Lam. leaves (MOL) alone or in combination with praziquantel (PZQ) drug targeting-infected mice with Schistosoma mansoni-induced liver and spleen damage. Mice were divided into eight groups control mice group treated orally with saline. PZQ group: non-infected mice treated orally with 300 mg/kg bwt PZQ three consecutive days. MOL group: non-infected mice treated orally with 150 mg/kg bwt MOL extract for 15 days. PZQ/ MOL group: non-infected mice treated orally with 300 mg/kg bwt PZQ for three consecutive days and 150 mg/kg bwt MOL extract for 15 days. IF group: infected mice with 100 cercariae/mouse of the Egyptian strain of S. mansoni. IF/PZQ group infected mice with S. mansoni cercariae and treated orally with 300 mg/kg bwt PZQ for three consecutive days. IF/MOL group: infected mice with S. mansoni cercariae treated orally with 150 mg/kg bwt MOL extract for 15 days. IF/PZQ +MOL group: infected mice with S. mansoni cercariae treated orally with 300 mg/kg bwt PZQ for three consecutive days and 150 mg/kg bwt MOL extract for 15 days. Blood, liver, spleen, worm, and eggs were collected at the end of the experimental period. Treatment of infected mice with MOL and PZQ together significantly reduced the number of ova/g tissue and eliminated the parasites. In addition, the liver and spleen of infected mice showed less histopathological alteration and immunohistochemical expression of nuclear factor kappa β (NF-Kβ). We can conclude that MOL extract combined with PZ has a curative effect on S. mansoni infection and helped to lessen its pathological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heba N. Gad EL-Hak
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Mahi A. Ghobashy
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Ranwa A. Elrayess
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
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Noce B, Di Bello E, Zwergel C, Fioravanti R, Valente S, Rotili D, Masotti A, Salik Zeya Ansari M, Trisciuoglio D, Chakrabarti A, Romier C, Robaa D, Sippl W, Jung M, Häberli C, Keiser J, Mai A. Chemically Diverse S. mansoni HDAC8 Inhibitors Reduce Viability in Worm Larval and Adult Stages. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202200510. [PMID: 36250286 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Schistosoma mansoni HDAC8 is a reliable target to fight schistosomiasis, and several inhibitors have been reported in the literature up to now. Nevertheless, only a few displayed selectivity over the human deacetylases and some exhibited very low or no activity against parasite larvae and/or adult worms. We report here the in vitro enzyme and biological activity of a small library of HDAC inhibitors from our lab, in many cases exhibiting submicromolar/nanomolar potency against smHDAC8 and diverse degrees of selectivity over hHDAC1 and/or hHDAC6. Such compounds were tested against schistosomula, and a selection of them against the adult forms of S. mansoni, to detect their effect on viability. Some of them showed the highest viability reduction for the larval stage with IC50 values around 1 μM and/or displayed ∼40-50 % activity in adult worms at 10 μM, joined to moderate to no toxicity in human fibroblast MRC-5 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Noce
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Di Bello
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Clemens Zwergel
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Fioravanti
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Valente
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Masotti
- Research Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital-IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Daniela Trisciuoglio
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council (CNR), 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Alokta Chakrabarti
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christophe Romier
- Département de Biologie Structurale Intégrative, Institut de Génétique et Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, 67404, Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Dina Robaa
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Wolfgang Sippl
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Manfred Jung
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Cécile Häberli
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, 4001, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, 4001, Switzerland
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.,Pasteur Institute, Cenci-Bolognetti Foundation, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
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Fattori ACM, Montija EDA, Fragelli BDDL, Correia RDO, de Castro CA, Romanello L, Nogueira CT, Allegretti SM, Soares EG, Pereira HD, Anibal FDF. Effects of Immunization with Recombinant Schistosoma mansoni Enzymes AK and HGPRT: Murine Infection Control. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010069. [PMID: 36678417 PMCID: PMC9866087 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the most important human helminthiases worldwide. Praziquantel is the current treatment, and no vaccine is available until the present. Thus, the presented study aimed to evaluate the immunization effects with recombinant Schistosoma mansoni enzymes: Adenosine Kinase (AK) and Hypoxanthine-Guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT), as well as a MIX of the two enzymes. Female Balb/c mice were immunized in three doses, and 15 days after the last immunization, animals were infected with S. mansoni. Our results showed that the group MIX presented a reduction in the eggs in feces by 30.74% and 29%, respectively, in the adult worms. The groups AK, HGPRT and MIX could produce IgG1 antibodies, and the groups AK and MIX produced IgE antibodies anti-enzymes and anti-S. mansoni total proteins. The groups AK, HGPRT and MIX induced a reduction in the eosinophils in the peritoneal cavity. Besides, the group AK showed a decrease in the number of hepatic granulomas (41.81%) and the eggs present in the liver (42.30%). Therefore, it suggests that immunization with these enzymes can contribute to schistosomiasis control, as well as help to modulate experimental infection inducing a reduction of physiopathology in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Maragno Fattori
- Laboratório de Inflamação e Doenças Infecciosas, Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil
- Correspondence: (A.C.M.F.); (F.d.F.A.)
| | - Elisandra de A. Montija
- Laboratório de Inflamação e Doenças Infecciosas, Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Bruna D. de L. Fragelli
- Laboratório de Inflamação e Doenças Infecciosas, Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Ricardo de O. Correia
- Laboratório de Inflamação e Doenças Infecciosas, Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Cynthia Aparecida de Castro
- Laboratório de Inflamação e Doenças Infecciosas, Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Larissa Romanello
- Departamento de Saúde e Psicologia, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Ituiutaba 38302-192, Brazil
| | - Camila T. Nogueira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Silmara M. Allegretti
- Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Edson G. Soares
- Laboratório de Citopatologia, Departamento de Patologia e Medicina Legal, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Humberto D. Pereira
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos 13566-590, Brazil
| | - Fernanda de F. Anibal
- Laboratório de Inflamação e Doenças Infecciosas, Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos 13565-905, Brazil
- Correspondence: (A.C.M.F.); (F.d.F.A.)
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Yang WB, Luo F, Zhang W, Sun CS, Tan C, Zhou A, Hu W. Inhibition of signal peptidase complex expression affects the development and survival of Schistosoma japonicum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1136056. [PMID: 36936776 PMCID: PMC10020623 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1136056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis, the second most neglected tropical disease defined by the WHO, is a significant zoonotic parasitic disease infecting approximately 250 million people globally. This debilitating disease has seriously threatened public health, while only one drug, praziquantel, is used to control it. Because of this, it highlights the significance of identifying more satisfactory target genes for drug development. Protein translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is vital to the subsequent localization of secretory and transmembrane proteins. The signal peptidase complex (SPC) is an essential component of the translocation machinery and functions to cleave the signal peptide sequence (SP) of secretory and membrane proteins entering the ER. Inhibiting the expression of SPC can lead to the abolishment or weaker cleavage of the signal peptide, and the accumulation of uncleaved protein in the ER would affect the survival of organisms. Despite the evident importance of SPC, in vivo studies exploring its function have yet to be reported in S. japonicum. Methods The S. japonicum SPC consists of four proteins: SPC12, SPC18, SPC22 and SPC25. RNA interference was used to investigate the impact of SPC components on schistosome growth and development in vivo. qPCR and in situ hybridization were applied to localize the SPC25 expression. Mayer's carmalum and Fast Blue B staining were used to observe morphological changes in the reproductive organs of dsRNA-treated worms. The effect of inhibitor treatment on the worm's viability and pairing was also examined in vitro. Results Our results showed that RNAi-SPC delayed the worm's normal development and was even lethal for schistosomula in vivo. Among them, the expression of SPC25 was significantly higher in the developmental stages of the reproductive organs in schistosomes. Moreover, SPC25 possessed high expression in the worm tegument, testes of male worms and the ovaries and vitellarium of female worms. The SPC25 knockdown led to the degeneration of reproductive organs, such as the ovaries and vitellarium of female worms. The SPC25 exhaustion also reduced egg production while reducing the pathological damage of the eggs to the host. Additionally, the SPC-related inhibitor AEBSF or suppressing the expression of SPC25 also impacted cultured worms' pairing and viability in vitro. Conclusions These data demonstrate that SPC is necessary to maintain the development and reproduction of S. japonicum. This research provides a promising anti-schistosomiasis drug target and discovers a new perspective on preventing worm fecundity and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Bin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Fang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng-Song Sun
- Central Laboratory, Anhui Provincial Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Anhui, China
| | - Cong Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - An Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Microbiology and Microbial Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Hu,
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Senghor B, Mathieu-Begné E, Rey O, Doucouré S, Sow D, Diop B, Sène M, Boissier J, Sokhna C. Urogenital schistosomiasis in three different water access in the Senegal river basin: prevalence and monitoring praziquantel efficacy and re-infection levels. BMC Infect Dis 2022; 22:968. [PMID: 36581796 PMCID: PMC9801593 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-022-07813-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urogenital schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. In the Senegal river basin, the construction of the Diama dam led to an increase and endemicity of schistosomiasis. Since 2009, praziquantel has frequently been used as preventive chemotherapy in the form of mass administration to Senegalese school-aged children without monitoring of the treatment efficacy and the prevalence after re-infection. This study aims to determine the current prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis (caused by Schistosoma haematobium), the efficacy of praziquantel, and the re-infection rates in children from five villages with different water access. METHODS The baseline prevalence of S. haematobium was determined in August 2020 in 777 children between 5 and 11 years old and a single dose of praziquantel (40 mg/kg) was administered to those positive. The efficacy of praziquantel and the re-infection rates were monitored 4 weeks and 7 months after treatment, respectively, in 226 children with a high intensity of infection at baseline. RESULTS At the baseline, prevalence was low among children from the village of Mbane who live close to the Lac de Guiers (38%), moderate among those from the villages of Dioundou and Khodit, which neighbor the Doue river (46%), and very high at Khodit (90.6%) and Guia (91.2%) which mainly use an irrigation canal. After treatment, the observed cure rates confirmed the efficacy of praziquantel. The lowest cure rate (88.5%) was obtained in the village using the irrigation canal, while high cure rates were obtained in those using the lake (96.5%) and the river (98%). However, high egg reduction rates (between 96.7 and 99.7%) were obtained in all the villages. The re-infection was significantly higher in the village using the canal (42.5%) than in the villages accessing the Lac de Guiers (18.3%) and the Doue river (14.8%). CONCLUSION Praziquantel has an impact on reducing the prevalence and intensity of urogenital schistosomiasis. However, in the Senegal river basin, S. haematobium remains a real health problem for children living in the villages near the irrigation canals, despite regular treatment, while prevalence is declining from those frequenting the river and the Lac de Guiers. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04635553. Registered 19 November 2020 retrospectively registered, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS gov/ct2/show/NCT04635553?cntry=SN&draw=2&rank=4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Senghor
- grid.418291.70000 0004 0456 337XCampus International IRD-UCAD de Hann, Vectors-Tropical and Mediterranean Infections (VITROME) Laboratory, 1386 Dakar, Senegal
| | - Eglantine Mathieu-Begné
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Host Pathogen Environments Interactions (IHPE) Laboratory, CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Olivier Rey
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Host Pathogen Environments Interactions (IHPE) Laboratory, CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Souleymane Doucouré
- grid.418291.70000 0004 0456 337XCampus International IRD-UCAD de Hann, Vectors-Tropical and Mediterranean Infections (VITROME) Laboratory, 1386 Dakar, Senegal
| | - Doudou Sow
- grid.442784.90000 0001 2295 6052Department of Parasitology-Mycology, UFR of Health Sciences, University Gaston Berger, 234, Saint-Louis, Senegal
| | - Bocar Diop
- grid.442784.90000 0001 2295 6052Laboratory of Biological and Agronomic Sciences and Modelling of Complex Systems, UFRS2ATA, Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis, Saint-Louis, Senegal
| | - Mariama Sène
- National Schistosomiasis Control Program (NSCP), Ministry of Health, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Jérôme Boissier
- grid.121334.60000 0001 2097 0141Host Pathogen Environments Interactions (IHPE) Laboratory, CNRS, IFREMER, University of Montpellier, University of Perpignan via Domitia, Perpignan, France
| | - Cheikh Sokhna
- grid.418291.70000 0004 0456 337XCampus International IRD-UCAD de Hann, Vectors-Tropical and Mediterranean Infections (VITROME) Laboratory, 1386 Dakar, Senegal ,grid.5399.60000 0001 2176 4817VITROME, IRD, SSA, AP-HM, IHU-Mediterranean Infection, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
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Qadeer A, Ullah H, Sohail M, Safi SZ, Rahim A, Saleh TA, Arbab S, Slama P, Horky P. Potential application of nanotechnology in the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of schistosomiasis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:1013354. [PMID: 36568300 PMCID: PMC9780462 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.1013354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. Globally, it affects economically poor countries, typically due to a lack of proper sanitation systems, and poor hygiene conditions. Currently, no vaccine is available against schistosomiasis, and the preferred treatment is chemotherapy with the use of praziquantel. It is a common anti-schistosomal drug used against all known species of Schistosoma. To date, current treatment primarily the drug praziquantel has not been effective in treating Schistosoma species in their early stages. The drug of choice offers low bioavailability, water solubility, and fast metabolism. Globally drug resistance has been documented due to overuse of praziquantel, Parasite mutations, poor treatment compliance, co-infection with other strains of parasites, and overall parasitic load. The existing diagnostic methods have very little acceptability and are not readily applied for quick diagnosis. This review aims to summarize the use of nanotechnology in the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention. It also explored safe and effective substitute approaches against parasitosis. At this stage, various nanomaterials are being used in drug delivery systems, diagnostic kits, and vaccine production. Nanotechnology is one of the modern and innovative methods to treat and diagnose several human diseases, particularly those caused by parasite infections. Herein we highlight the current advancement and application of nanotechnological approaches regarding the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Qadeer
- Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hanif Ullah
- West China School of Nursing/West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Muhammad Sohail
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation, School of Pharmacy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, China
| | - Sher Zaman Safi
- Interdisciplinary Research Center in Biomedical Materials (IRCBM), COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore, Pakistan,Faculty of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing MAHSA University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abdur Rahim
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan,*Correspondence: Abdur Rahim, ; Petr Slama, ; Pavel Horky,
| | - Tawfik A Saleh
- Department of Chemistry, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Safia Arbab
- Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Petr Slama
- Laboratory of Animal Immunology and Biotechnology, Department of Animal Morphology, Physiology and Genetics, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia,*Correspondence: Abdur Rahim, ; Petr Slama, ; Pavel Horky,
| | - Pavel Horky
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia,*Correspondence: Abdur Rahim, ; Petr Slama, ; Pavel Horky,
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Wang N, Peng HQ, Gao CZ, Cheng YH, Sun MT, Qu GL, Webster JP, Lu DB. In vivo efficiency of praziquantel treatment of single-sex Schistosoma japonicum aged three months old in mice. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2022; 20:129-134. [PMID: 36403362 PMCID: PMC9771832 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a major neglected tropical disease mainly caused by Schistosoma haematobium, S. japonicum and S. mansoni, and results in the greatest disease burden. Mass drug administration (MDA) with praziquantel (PZQ), a single drug only available for the disease, has played a vital role in schistosomiasis control. Therefore, any possibility of selection of the parasites for PZQ resistance or low sensitivity may hamper the 2030's target of global disease elimination. We had experimentally demonstrated the long-term survival and reproductive potential of single-sex (of either sex) S. japonicum infections in definitive hosts mice. What has not yet been adequately addressed is whether the long live single-sex schistosomes remain sensitive to PZQ, and what reproduction potential for those schistosomes surviving treatment may have. We therefore performed experimental mice studies to explore the treatment effectiveness of PZQ (at total doses of 200 or 400 mg/kg, corresponding to the sub-standard or standard treatment doses in humans) for single-sex S. japonicum aged three months old. The results showed that no treatment efficiency was observed on female schistosomes, whereas on male schistosomes only at PZQ 400 mg/kg a significant higher efficiency in reducing worm burdens was observed. Moreover, either schistosome males or females surviving PZQ treatment remained their reproduction potential as normal. The results indicate that long (i.e., three months) live single-sex S. japonicum can easily survive the current treatment strategy, and moreover, any schistosomes, if with PZQ resistance or low sensitivity, could be easily transmitted in nature. Therefore, in order to realize the target for the national and the global schistosomiasis elimination, there is undoubtedly a great need for refining PZQ administration and dosage, looking for alternative therapies, and/or developing vaccines against schistosome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Han-Qi Peng
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Chang-Zhe Gao
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yu-Heng Cheng
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Meng-Tao Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Guo-Li Qu
- Key Laboratory of National Health and Family Planning Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, China
| | - Joanne P Webster
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases (CEEED), Department of Pathology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Da-Bing Lu
- Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
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Salazar-Rojas D, Kaufman TS, Maggio RM. A study of the heat-mediated phase transformations of praziquantel hydrates. Evaluation of their impact on the dissolution rate. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11317. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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Nogueira RA, Lira MGS, Licá ICL, Frazão GCCG, Dos Santos VAF, Filho ACCM, Rodrigues JGM, Miranda GS, Carvalho RC, Nascimento FRF. Praziquantel: An update on the mechanism of its action against schistosomiasis and new therapeutic perspectives. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2022; 252:111531. [PMID: 36375598 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2022.111531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice for the treatment of all forms of schistosomiasis, although its mechanisms of action are not completely understood. PZQ acts largely on adult worms. This narrative literature review describes what is known about the mechanisms of action of PZQ against schistosomes from in vitro and in vivo studies and highlights the molecular targets in parasites and immune responses induced in definitive hosts by this drug. Moreover, new therapeutic uses of PZQ are discussed. Studies have demonstrated that in addition to impacting voltage-operated Ca2 + channels, PZQ may interact with other schistosome molecules, such as myosin regulatory light chain, glutathione S-transferase, and transient receptor potential channels. Following PZQ administration, increased T regulatory type 1 (Tr1) cell differentiation and decreased inflammation were observed, indicating that PZQ promotes immunoregulatory pathways. Although PZQ is widely used in mass drug administration schemes, the existence of resistant parasites has not been proven; however, it is a concern that should be constantly investigated in human populations. In addition, we discuss studies that evaluate health applications of PZQ (other than helminth infection), such as its effect in cancer therapy and its adjuvant action in vaccines against viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranielly Araujo Nogueira
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Maria Gabriela Sampaio Lira
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil; Department of Education, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, Zé Doca, MA, Brazil
| | - Irlla Correia Lima Licá
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | | | - Vitor Augusto Ferreira Dos Santos
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | | | - João Gustavo Mendes Rodrigues
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Silva Miranda
- Department of Education, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Maranhão, São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, MA, Brazil
| | - Rafael Cardoso Carvalho
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil
| | - Flávia Raquel Fernandes Nascimento
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil; Department of Pathology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís, MA, Brazil.
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Effectiveness of antimalarial drug combinations in treating concomitant urogenital schistosomiasis in malaria patients in Lambaréné, Gabon: A non-randomised event-monitoring study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010899. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Urogenital schistosomiasis is prevalent in many malaria endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa and can lead to long-term health consequences if untreated. Antimalarial drugs used to treat uncomplicated malaria have shown to exert some activity against Schistosoma haematobium. Here, we explore the efficacy on concomitant urogenital schistosomiasis of first-line recommended artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) and investigational second-generation ACTs when administered for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Gabon.
Methods
Microscopic determination of urogenital schistosomiasis was performed from urine samples collected from patients with confirmed uncomplicated malaria. Egg excretion reduction rate and cure rate were determined at 4-weeks and 6-weeks post-treatment with either artesunate-pyronaridine, artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate-amodiaquine or artefenomel-ferroquine.
Results
Fifty-two (16%) out of 322 malaria patients were co-infected with urogenital schistosomiasis and were treated with antimalarial drug combinations. Schistosoma haematobium egg excretion rates showed a median reduction of 100% (interquartile range (IQR), 17% to 100%) and 65% (IQR, -133% to 100%) at 4-weeks and 6-weeks post-treatment, respectively, in the artesunate-pyronaridine group (n = 20) compared to 35% (IQR, −250% to 70%) and 65% (IQR, -65% to 79%) in the artemether-lumefantrine group (n = 18). Artesunate-amodiaquine (n = 2) and artefenomel-ferroquine combination (n = 3) were not able to reduce the rate of eggs excreted in this limited number of patients. In addition, cure rates were 56% and 37% at 4- and 6-weeks post-treatment, respectively, with artesunate-pyronaridine and no cases of cure were observed for the other antimalarial combinations.
Conclusions
Antimalarial treatments with artesunate-pyronaridine and artemether-lumefantrine reduced the excretion of S. haematobium eggs, comforting the hypothesis that antimalarial drugs could play a role in the control of schistosomiasis.
Trial Registration
This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov, under the Identifier NCT04264130.
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In Vitro Cercaricidal and Schistosomicidal Activities of the Raffia Wine and Hydroethanolic Extracts of Pedilanthus tithymaloides Linn (Poit). Stem Barks. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:2672150. [PMID: 36159554 PMCID: PMC9507742 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2672150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis control remains a public health concern, and there is a need to evaluate new strategies for targeting larval and adult stages of the parasite. As Pedilanthus tithymaloides is empirically used to treat schistosomiasis, it becomes essential to know its effective action scientifically. This study assessed the cercaricidal and schistosomicidal activity of P. tithymaloides stem barks raffia wine extract (RwPt) and hydroethanolic extract (HePt). Different concentrations of these extracts were tested against cercariae (31.25–1000 μg/mL) and adult worms (62.5–2000 μg/mL) of Schistosoma mansoni. Niclosamide-olamine 5% (1 μg/mL) and praziquantel (10 μg/mL) were used as pharmacological controls. Cercariae viability was determined every 30 min for 180 min, and adult worms’ motor activity and viability after 24 and 48 h incubation. In addition, cytotoxicity and phytochemical analysis were performed. HePt was lethal to cercariae and adult worms with LC50 of 73.91 μg/mL after 60 min of incubation and 731.17 μg/mL after 48 h of incubation, respectively. Furthermore, a significant reduction of 94.44% in motor activity was observed in surviving worms at the concentration of 2000 μg/mL. RwPt was less effective on S. mansoni cercariae with an LC50 of 617.86 μg/mL after 180 min and on adult worms with a mortality rate of 9.83% at 2000 μg/mL for 48 h incubation. Both extracts showed a weak cytotoxicity profile with an IC50 of 983.50 μg/mL for HePt and more than 1000 μg/mL for RwPt. The LC-MS analysis of HePt allowed the detection of two annotated diterpenoids. Based on the selectivity index, the hydroethanolic extract of P. tithymaloides stem barks disclosed an intense cercaricidal activity and a moderate schistosomicidal effect with low cytotoxicity. These findings may support the potential use of Pedilanthus tithymaloides as a natural product or a source of natural-derived compounds for interrupting schistosomiasis transmission.
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Summers S, Bhattacharyya T, Allan F, Stothard JR, Edielu A, Webster BL, Miles MA, Bustinduy AL. A review of the genetic determinants of praziquantel resistance in Schistosoma mansoni: Is praziquantel and intestinal schistosomiasis a perfect match? FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.933097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) caused by parasitic trematodes belonging to the Schistosoma genus. The mainstay of schistosomiasis control is the delivery of a single dose of praziquantel (PZQ) through mass drug administration (MDA) programs. These programs have been successful in reducing the prevalence and intensity of infections. Due to the success of MDA programs, the disease has recently been targeted for elimination as a public health problem in some endemic settings. The new World Health Organization (WHO) treatment guidelines aim to provide equitable access to PZQ for individuals above two years old in targeted areas. The scale up of MDA programs may heighten the drug selection pressures on Schistosoma parasites, which could lead to the emergence of PZQ resistant schistosomes. The reliance on a single drug to treat a disease of this magnitude is worrying should drug resistance develop. Therefore, there is a need to detect and track resistant schistosomes to counteract the threat of drug resistance to the WHO 2030 NTD roadmap targets. Until recently, drug resistance studies have been hindered by the lack of molecular markers associated with PZQ resistance. This review discusses recent significant advances in understanding the molecular basis of PZQ action in S. mansoni and proposes additional genetic determinants associated with PZQ resistance. PZQ resistance will also be analyzed in the context of alternative factors that may decrease efficacy within endemic field settings, and the most recent treatment guidelines recommended by the WHO.
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Saccoccia F, Pozzetti L, Gimmelli R, Butini S, Guidi A, Papoff G, Giannaccari M, Brogi S, Scognamiglio V, Gemma S, Ruberti G, Campiani G. Crystal structures of Schistosoma mansoni histone deacetylase 8 reveal a novel binding site for allosteric inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102375. [PMID: 35970392 PMCID: PMC9486128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic diseases cause significant global morbidity and mortality particularly in the poorest regions of the world. Schistosomiasis, one of the most widespread neglected tropical diseases, affects more than 200 million people worldwide. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are prominent epigenetic drugs that are being investigated in the treatment of several diseases, including cancers and parasitic diseases. Schistosoma mansoni HDAC8 (SmHDAC8) is highly expressed in all life cycle stages of the parasite and selective inhibition is required in order to avoid undesirable off-target effects in the host. Herein, by X-ray crystal structures of SmHDAC8-inhibitor complexes, biochemical and phenotypic studies, we found two schistosomicidal spiroindoline-derivatives binding a novel site, next to Trp198, on the enzyme surface. We determined that by acting on this site, either by mutation of the Trp198 or by compound binding, a decrease in the activity of the enzyme is achieved. Remarkably, this allosteric site differs from the human counterpart; rather, it is conserved in all Schistosoma spp., as well as Rhabidoptera and Trematoda classes, thus paving the way for the design of HDAC8-selective allosteric inhibitors with improved properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulvio Saccoccia
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Italian National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy.
| | - Luca Pozzetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Roberto Gimmelli
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Italian National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Butini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandra Guidi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Italian National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuliana Papoff
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Italian National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
| | - Marialaura Giannaccari
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Italian National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Brogi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Viviana Scognamiglio
- Institute of Crystallography, Italian National Research Council, Department of Chemical Sciences and Materials Technologies, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Giovina Ruberti
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Italian National Research Council (IBBC-CNR), Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ercole Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Campiani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, DoE Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, I-53100 Siena, Italy.
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Alzain AA, Elbadwi FA. De Novo Design of Cathepsin B1 Inhibitors as Potential Anti-Schistosomal Agents Using Computational Studies. ADVANCES AND APPLICATIONS IN BIOINFORMATICS AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 15:29-41. [PMID: 35935393 PMCID: PMC9355347 DOI: 10.2147/aabc.s361626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Schistosomiasis is the world’s second most devastating disease after malaria and the leading cause of disease and mortality for more than 200 million people in developing countries. Cysteine proteases, in particular SmCB1, are the most well-researched biological targets for this disorder. Objective To apply computational techniques to design new antischistosomal agents against SmCB1 protein with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. Methods The smCB1 receptor-based pharmacophore model was created and used to screen 567,000 fragments from the Enamine library. The best scoring fragments have been linked to build novel compounds that were subjected to molecular docking, MM-GBSA free energy estimation, ADME prediction, and molecular dynamics. Results A seven-point pharmacophore hypothesis ADDDRRR was created. The developed hypothesis was used to screen 1.3 M fragment conformations. Among them, 23,732 fragments matched the hypothesis and screened against the protein. The top 50 fragments were used to design new 7745 compounds using the Breed ligand panel which were subjected to docking and MMGBSA binding energy. This led to the identification of 10 compounds with better docking scores (−8.033– −7.483 kcal/mol) and lower-bound free energies (−58.49 – −40.02 kcal/mol) compared to the reference bound ligand. Most of the designed compounds demonstrated good drug-like properties. Concerning Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results, a low root mean square deviation (RMSD) range (0.25–1.2 Å) was found for the top 3 complexes which indicated their stability. Conclusion We identified compounds that could be potential candidates in the search for novel Schistosoma mansoni inhibitors by targeting SmCB1 utilizing various computational tools. Three newly designed compounds namely breed 1, 2, and 3 showed promising affinity to the target as well as favorable drug-like properties which might be considered potential anti-schistosomal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrahim A Alzain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan
- Correspondence: Abdulrahim A Alzain, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan, Tel +249-511854501, Fax +249-511861180, Email
| | - Fatima A Elbadwi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Gezira, Gezira, Sudan
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