Schistosomiasis mansoni: A new therapeutic target for ubiquinol, a natural inhibitor of neutral magnesium-dependent sphingomyelinase in murine model.

Constituting the host-parasite interface and playing a censorious role in host immune response modulation and parasite survival, tegument represents a crucial target for many antischistosomal drugs. Sphingomyelin forms a stable outer leaflet of tegumental membrane-lipid bilayer. Neutral magnesium‏-dependent sphingomyelinase (Mg-nSMase) is a key enzyme in sphingomyelin breakdown was identified in schistosomes.

Evaluation of prophylactic efficacy and safety of praziquantel-miltefosine nanocombination in experimental Schistosomiasis mansoni.

The control of schistosomiasis depends exclusively on praziquantel (PZQ) monotherapy with treatment failure due to minor activity against the juvenile stage, re-infection and emerging drug resistance. Improving the antischistosomal therapeutic/prophylactic profile of PZQ is a sensible option to save the clinical benefits of the drug if achieved effectively and safely via a single oral dose. Recently, we developed praziquantel-miltefosine lipid nanocapsules (PZQ 250 mg/kg-MFS 20 mg/kg LNCs) as a nanotechnology-enabled novel drug combination with significant multistage activity against Schistosoma mansoni (S.

Single oral fixed-dose praziquantel-miltefosine nanocombination for effective control of experimental schistosomiasis mansoni.

Background: The control of schistosomiasis has been centered to date on a single drug, praziquantel, with shortcomings including treatment failure, reinfection, and emergence of drug resistance. Drug repurposing, combination therapy or nanotechnology were explored to improve antischistosomal treatment. The aim of the present study was to utilize a novel combination of the three strategies to improve the therapeutic profile of praziquantel.

Praziquantel-lipid nanocapsules: an oral nanotherapeutic with potential tegumental targeting.

Purpose: Lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) have shown potential to increase the bioavailability and efficacy of orally administered drugs. However, their intestinal translocation to distal target sites and their implication in pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) relationships are yet to be elucidated. In this study, the effect of LNCs on the PD activity and pharmacokinetics of praziquantel (PZQ), the mainstay of schistosomiasis chemotherapy, was investigated.

Immuno-therapeutic potential of Schistosoma mansoni and Trichinella spiralis antigens in a murine model of colon cancer.

Considerable evidence indicates a negative correlation between the prevalence of some parasitic infections and cancer and their interference with tumor growth. Therefore, parasitic antigens seem to be promising candidates for cancer immunotherapy. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of autoclaved Schistosoma mansoni and Trichinella spiralis antigens against a colon cancer murine model was investigated.

Treatment of Schistosoma mansoni with miltefosine in vitro enhances serological recognition of defined worm surface antigens.

Background: Miltefosine, an anti-cancer drug that has been successfully repositioned for treatment of Leishmania infections, has recently also shown promising effects against Schistosoma spp targeting all life cycle stages of the parasite. The current study examined the effect of treating Schistosoma mansoni adult worms with miltefosine on exposure of worm surface antigens in vitro.

Methodology/principal Findings: In an indirect immunofluorescence assay, rabbit anti-S.

Anti-Arthritic Activity of Schistosoma mansoni and Trichinella spiralis Derived-Antigens in Adjuvant Arthritis in Rats: Role of FOXP3+ Treg Cells.

A growing body of evidence supports the concept of helminths therapy in a variety of autoimmune diseases. Here, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of autoclaved Schistosoma mansoni antigen (ASMA) and Trichinella spiralis antigen (ATSA) on the clinical and immunopathological features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Adjuvant arthritis was induced by subcutaneous and intradermal injections of complete Freund's adjuvant into the plantar surface of the right hind paw and the root of the tail, respectively.

Miltefosine lipid nanocapsules: Intersection of drug repurposing and nanotechnology for single dose oral treatment of pre-patent schistosomiasis mansoni.

A dual drug repurposing/nanotechnological approach was used to develop an alternative oral treatment for schistosomiasis mansoni using miltefosine (MFS), an anticancer alkylphosphocholine, and lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) as oral nanovectors. We demonstrated earlier that MFS possesses significant activity against different developmental stages of Schistosoma mansoni in the mouse model using 5 successive 20mg/kg/day oral doses. Moreover, an effective single dose (20mg/kg) oral treatment against the adult stage of S.

Miltefosine Lipid Nanocapsules for Single Dose Oral Treatment of Schistosomiasis Mansoni: A Preclinical Study.

Miltefosine (MFS) is an alkylphosphocholine used for the local treatment of cutaneous metastases of breast cancer and oral therapy of visceral leishmaniasis. Recently, the drug was reported in in vitro and preclinical studies to exert significant activity against different developmental stages of schistosomiasis mansoni, a widespread chronic neglected tropical disease (NTD). This justified MFS repurposing as a potential antischistosomal drug.

Initial characterization of an autoclaved Toxoplasma vaccine in mice.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic protozoal disease that has a major significance from the perspectives of public health and veterinary medicine. Therefore, an obvious long-term goal of many scientists would be the development of an effective vaccine. In this study, autoclaved vaccine was evaluated for its ability to protect mice against Toxoplasma gondii RH challenge as an acute infection model.

Miltefosine, a promising novel agent for schistosomiasis mansoni.

This research aims towards developing an alternative antischistosomal drug using miltefosine, which is primarily used in the treatment of leishmaniasis. The treatment and control of schistosomiasis, a notable neglected tropical disease (NTD), rely on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ). The dependency on PZQ exclusively is quite alarming, given the spread of the disease (over 200 million people infected and close to 800 million people at risk in three continents) and the threat of drug resistance.

Experimental trichinosis: parasitological, electrophysiological and biochemical studies.

Trichinosis is a parasitic infection affecting the gut and the muscles causing mild gastrointestinal symptoms followed by periorbital oedema, muscle pains, fever and eosinophilia. The infection evokes functional disturbances in physiological effector systems. Furthermore, several biochemical changes are associated with the infection.

Effect of topical agents on cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni.

DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is one of the reliable and most widely used insect repellents. The present work was planed to evaluate the effect of free DEET, controlled release DEET and white precipitate ointment on the viability of cercariae of S. mansoni in-vitro.

Further studies on autoclaved cercarial vaccine against schistosomiasis: safety, longevity and stability.

The autoclaved cercarial vaccine (ACV) which is a special type of killed vaccine has been reported to induce experimental high level of homologous protective immunity. This study was to adjust the dose and to assess vaccine safety, longevity and stability as well as the possibility of transplacental transmission of immune response from pregnant mice to their offspring. The results showed that two doses of the lowest most effective concentration of ACV that achieved the high percentage reduction of worm burden is safe as demonstrated by absence of any local or systemic side effects, normal blood picture and normal liver and kidney function tests.

Vaccination trial against experimental trichrinellosis using autoclaved Trichinella spiralis larvae vaccine (ATSLV).

The autoclaved Trichinella spiralis larvae vaccine (ATSLV) was tested and showed a surprising and somewhat unpredictable effect on the immune system of mice experimentally infected with T. spiralis. The vaccine was given with Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) as an adjuvant at different durations and by different routes of administration.