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Schreiber M, Vajs V, Horák P. How tapeworms interact with cancers: a mini-review. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17196. [PMID: 38563013 PMCID: PMC10984186 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death, with an estimated 19.3 million new cases and 10 million deaths worldwide in 2020 alone. Approximately 2.2 million cancer cases are attributed to infectious diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite the apparent involvement of some parasitic helminths (especially trematodes) in cancer induction, there are also records of the potential suppressive effects of helminth infections on cancer. Tapeworms such as Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia crassiceps, and more seem to have the potential to suppress malignant cell development, although in a few cases the evidence might be contradictory. Our review aims to summarize known epidemiological data on the cancer-helminth co-occurrence in the human population and the interactions of tapeworms with cancers, i.e., proven or hypothetical effects of tapeworms and their products on cancer cells in vivo (i.e., in experimental animals) or in vitro. The prospect of bioactive tapeworm molecules helping reduce the growth and metastasis of cancer is within the realm of future possibility, although extensive research is yet required due to certain concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Schreiber
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Vajs
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Horák
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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The Tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta as an Important Model Organism in the Experimental Parasitology of the 21st Century. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121439. [PMID: 36558772 PMCID: PMC9784563 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121439] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta is a common parasite of the small intestine in rodents but it can also infect humans. Due to its characteristics and ease of maintenance in the laboratory, H. diminuta is also an important model species in studies of cestodiasis, including the search for new drugs, treatments, diagnostics and biochemical processes, as well as its host-parasite interrelationships. A great deal of attention has been devoted to the immune response caused by H. diminuta in the host, and several studies indicate that infection with H. diminuta can reduce the severity of concomitant disease. Here, we present a critical review of the experimental research conducted with the use of H. diminuta as a model organism for over more than two decades (in the 21st century). The present review evaluates the tapeworm H. diminuta as a model organism for studying the molecular biology, biochemistry and immunology aspects of parasitology, as well as certain clinical applications. It also systematizes the latest research on this species. Its findings may contribute to a better understanding of the biology of tapeworms and their adaptation to parasitism, including complex correlations between H. diminuta and invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. It places particular emphasis on its value for the further development of modern experimental parasitology.
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Yang Y, Ding X, Chen F, Wu X, Chen Y, Zhang Q, Cao J, Wang J, Dai Y. Inhibition Effects of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Its Derivatives against Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice through Anti-Inflammatory Response. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11101208. [PMID: 36297265 PMCID: PMC9610917 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11101208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a dominant and growing cause of death and disability worldwide that involves inflammation from its inception to the emergence of complications. Studies have demonstrated that intervention with helminth infections or derived products could modulate the host immune response and effectively prevent or mitigate the onset and progression of inflammation-related diseases. Therefore, to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of atherosclerosis, we intervened in ApoE-/- mice maintained on a high-fat diet with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis (N. brasiliensis) infection and immunized with its derived products. We found that N. brasiliensis infection and its derived proteins had suitable protective effects both in the initial and progressive stages of atherosclerosis, effectively reducing aortic arch plaque areas and liver lipid contents and downregulating serum LDL levels, which may be associated with the significant upregulation of serum anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-4) and the down-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ) in the serum. In conclusion, these data highlighted the effective regulatory role of N. brasiliensis and its derived proteins in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. This could provide a promising new avenue for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yougui Yang
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Xin Ding
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Fuzhong Chen
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Xiaomin Wu
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Microbiological Laboratory, Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yuying Chen
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Jun Cao
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Junhong Wang
- Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (Y.D.)
| | - Yang Dai
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Key Laboratory of National Health Commission on Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Jiangsu Province on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Correspondence: (J.W.); (Y.D.)
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