PRECLINICAL STUDIES
Immuno-therapeutic potential of Schistosoma mansoni and Trichinella
spiralis antigens in a murine model of colon cancer
Maha M. Eissa
1
&
Cherine A. Ismail
2
&
Mervat Z. El-Azzouni
1
&
Amany A. Ghazy
3
&
Mona A. Hadi
4
Received: 4 February 2018 /Accepted: 1 May 2018
#
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2018
Summary
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. Both antigens showed immunomodulatory potential, as
evidenced by a significant decrease in serum IL-17, a significant increase in serum IL-10, and the percentage of
splenic CD4
+
T-cells and intestinal FoxP3
+
Treg cells. However, treatment with S. mansoni antigen yielded protection
against the deleterious effect of DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis only, with a significant decrease in the average
lesion size and number of neoplasias per mouse. For the first time, we report an inhibitory effect of S. mansoni antigen
on the progression of chemically induced colon carcinogenesis, but the exact mechanism has yet to be clarified. This
anti-tumor strategy could introduce a new era of medicine in which a generation of anticancer vaccines of parasitic
origin would boost the therapy for incurable cancers.
Keywords Autoclaved antigen vaccine
.
Schistosoma mansoni
.
Trichinella spiralis
.
Colon cancer
.
Immunotherapy
.
FoxP
3
+
Treg cells
Abbreviations
ASMA Autoclaved Schistosoma
mansoni antigen
ATSA Autoclaved Trichinella spiralis antigen
DMH 1,2-dimethylhydrazine
FoxP
3
+
Treg cells Forkhead box positive T regulatory cells
CIS Carcinoma in situ
TGF-β Transforming growth factor-beta
Introduction
Biological therapy marks a new era in cancer treatment de-
signed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer. The
landmark discovery of tumor antigens shed light on this new
therapeutic potential through stimulating the tumor suppressor
immune response. Several autologous and allogeneic tumor
cell vaccines have shown early promise in treating cancer
patients. However, obstacles to clinical success have arisen,
including immune tolerance, weak antigenic nature, and ac-
tive immune evasion mechanisms employed by progressing
tumors [1, 2]. To overcome these challenges, novel treatments
that either boost the body’s immune system in a general way
or help to train the immune system to specifically attack can-
cer cells are urgently needed.
The immune system may not always recognize cancer cells
as foreign, and even if recognized, the response may not be
strong enough since these cells may give off substances that
keep the immune system in check. Alternatively, the immune
system is much better at recognizing and attacking germs than
cancer cells, as germs are often easily seen as foreign [3].
Considerable evidence indicates that certain parasitic
* Cherine A. Ismail
cherine.ismail@alexmed.edu.eg
1
Medical Parasitology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria
University, Alexandria, Egypt
2
Clinical Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria
University, Alexandria, Egypt
3
Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine,
Kafr-Elsheikh University, Kafr-Elsheikh, Egypt
4
Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University,
Alexandria, Egypt
Investigational New Drugs
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