1
|
Alizadeh G, Kheirandish A, Alipour M, Jafari M, Radfar M, Bybordi T, Rafiei-Sefiddashti R. The role of helminths and their antigens in cancer therapy: insights from cell line models. Infect Agent Cancer 2024; 19:52. [PMID: 39385244 PMCID: PMC11465614 DOI: 10.1186/s13027-024-00613-3] [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: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 09/30/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent articles have explored the effect of worms on cancer cells. This review focused on various cell cultures employed to understand which cells are more commonly and less utilized. METHODS The present review analyzed studies published between 2013 and 2023 to obtain information about different cell cultures used in cancer studies involving helminths. Databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, HINARI, and the Cochrane Library were searched. RESULTS This search yielded 130 records, but 97 papers were excluded because they were either irrelevant to the research topic (n = 72) or contradicted the research idea (n = 25).The remaining twenty-one articles focused on different types of worms, such as Echinococcus granulosus, Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis felineus, Opisthorchis viverrini, Trichinella spiralis, Toxocara canis, and Heligmosomoides polygyrus. CONCLUSION Due to the presence of numerous antigens, parasites at different growth stages can impact various cells through unknown mechanisms. Given the high diversity of antigens and their effects, artificial intelligence can assist in predicting initial outcomes for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gita Alizadeh
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Kheirandish
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Alipour
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Jafari
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdis Radfar
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tina Bybordi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Raheleh Rafiei-Sefiddashti
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Eissa MM, Salem AE, El Skhawy N. Parasites revive hope for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Res 2024; 29:489. [PMID: 39367471 PMCID: PMC11453045 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-02057-2] [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: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Parasites have attained a life-long stigma of being detrimental organisms with deleterious outcomes. Yet, recently, a creditable twist was verified that can dramatically change our perception of those parasites from being a source of misery to millions of people to a useful anti-cancerous tool. Various parasites have shown promise to combat cancer in different experimental models, including colorectal, lung, and breast cancers, among others. Helminths and protozoan parasites, as well as their derivatives such as Echinococcus granulosus protein KI-1, Toxoplasma gondii GRA15II, and Trypanosoma cruzi calreticulin, have demonstrated the ability to inhibit tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. This article provides an overview of the literature on various cancer types that have shown promising responses to parasite therapy in both in vitro and in vivo animal studies. Parasites have shown anti-neoplastic activity through a variety of mechanisms that collectively contribute to their anti-cancer properties. These include immunomodulation, inhibition of angiogenesis, and molecular mimicry with cancer cells. This review article sheds light on this intriguing emerging field and emphasizes the value of collaborative multidisciplinary research projects with funding agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Thus, these strategies would secure continuous exploration of this new avenue and accelerate the advancement of cancer therapy research. Although experimental studies are heavily conducted by leaps and bounds, further steps are definitely lagging. Upgrading research from the experimental level to the clinical trial would be a wise progression toward efficient exploitation of the anti-neoplastic capabilities of parasites, ultimately saving countless lives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maha M Eissa
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Ahmed Ebada Salem
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 48123, USA
| | - Nahla El Skhawy
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Younis SS, Salama AM, Elmehy DA, Heabah NA, Rabah HM, Elakshar SH, Awad RA, Gamea GA. Trichinella spiralis Larval Extract as a Biological Anti-Tumor Therapy in a Murine Model of Ehrlich Solid Carcinoma. Parasite Immunol 2024; 46:e13035. [PMID: 38712475 DOI: 10.1111/pim.13035] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) is an immunomodulating parasite that can adversely affect tumor growth and extend host lifespan. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which T. spiralis larval antigens achieve this effect using Ehrlich solid carcinoma (ESC) murine model. Assessment was done by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of caspase-3, TNF-α, Ki-67 and CD31. Additionally, Bcl2 and Bcl2-associated protein X (Bax) relative gene expression was assessed by molecular analysis for studying the effect of T. spiralis crude larval extract (CLE) antigen on tumor necrosis, apoptosis, cell proliferation and angiogenesis. We found that both T. spiralis infection and CLE caused a decrease in the areas of necrosis in ESC. Moreover, they led to increased apoptosis through activation of caspase-3, up-regulation of pro-apoptotic gene, Bax and down-regulation of anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl2. Also, T. spiralis infection and CLE diminished ESC proliferation, as evidenced by decreasing Ki-67. T. spiralis infection and CLE were able to suppress the development of ESC by inhibiting tumor proliferation, inducing apoptosis and decreasing tumor necrosis, with subsequent decrease in tumor metastasis. T. spiralis CLE antigen may be considered as a promising complementary immunotherapeutic agent in the treatment of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Salwa S Younis
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Amina M Salama
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Dalia A Elmehy
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Nehal A Heabah
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Hanem M Rabah
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Sara H Elakshar
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Radwa A Awad
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Ghada A Gamea
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Uthailak N, Adisakwattana P, Chienwichai P, Tipthara P, Tarning J, Thawornkuno C, Thiangtrongjit T, Reamtong O. Metabolite profiling of Trichinella spiralis adult worms and muscle larvae identifies their excretory and secretory products. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1306567. [PMID: 38145042 PMCID: PMC10749202 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1306567] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Human trichinellosis is a parasitic infection caused by roundworms belonging to the genus Trichinella, especially Trichinella spiralis. Early and accurate clinical diagnoses of trichinellosis are required for efficacious prognosis and treatment. Current drug therapies are limited by antiparasitic resistance, poor absorption, and an inability to kill the encapsulating muscle-stage larvae. Therefore, reliable biomarkers and drug targets for novel diagnostic approaches and anthelmintic drugs are required. In this study, metabolite profiles of T. spiralis adult worms and muscle larvae were obtained using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics. In addition, metabolite-based biomarkers of T. spiralis excretory-secretory products and their related metabolic pathways were characterized. The metabolic profiling identified major, related metabolic pathways involving adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent synthetase/ligase and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in T. spiralis adult worms and muscle larvae, respectively. These pathways are potential drug targets for the treatment of the intestinal and muscular phases of infection. The metabolome of larva excretory-secretory products was characterized, with amino acid permease and carbohydrate kinase being identified as key metabolic pathways. Among six metabolites, decanoyl-l-carnitine and 2,3-dinor-6-keto prostaglandin F1α-d9 were identified as potential metabolite-based biomarkers that might be related to the host inflammatory processes. In summary, this study compared the relationships between the metabolic profiles of two T. spiralis growth stages. Importantly, the main metabolites and metabolic pathways identified may aid the development of novel clinical diagnostics and therapeutics for human trichinellosis and other related helminthic infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naphatsamon Uthailak
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Poom Adisakwattana
- Department of Helminthology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Peerut Chienwichai
- Princess Srisavangavadhana College of Medicine, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Phornpimon Tipthara
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Joel Tarning
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Charin Thawornkuno
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tipparat Thiangtrongjit
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetics, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|