Anti-schistosomal and anti-tumor responses to interaction between cancer and infection

Recent studies reported that praziquantel (PZQ) has some sort of resistance for schistosoma treatment ,  therefore the finding anew drug is needed,  the current study was conducted to assess the efficacy of cisplatin an antischistosomal agent and it's possible role as a complementary  medicine with current drug of choice (PZQ). The evaluation of antischistosoml activity of this drug was done in vivo level. Different groups of mice were infected with schistosoma and challenge with tumor (4-5) weeks later. Tumor can be developed in schistosoma-infected patients. Alternatively, patients with tumor can be subjected to schistosoma infection. It is not clear, however, whether there is a mutual effects of these diseases with or  without treatment with the choice drugs. Determine the host responses to mutual interaction between cancer, represented by Ehrlich ascites, and infection, represented by Schistosomiasis. For schistosmiasis infection, mice were infected with 70 cercariae by tail immersion. For tumor challenge, mice were injected with 1 million cells of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cell line. The anti-schistosomal drug prazequintal (PZQ) and the anti-tumor drug cisplatin were used for intraperitoneal treatment at the indicated time points. Mice infected with schistosoma and challenge with tumor 4-5 weeks later showed the same antischistosomal (worm and egg burden) and antitumor (total tumor cell count and mouse survival) parameters when compared to mice infected with schistosoma alone group or challenged with tumor cells alone. As expected, combinatorial treatment with PZQ and cisplatin of schistosoma-infected mice that were challenged 4-5 weeks later with tumor cell line decreased the tumor burden as wells as the worm and egg burden after treatment as compared to the non-treated controls. Interestingly, however, the worm and egg burden in mice challenged with schistosoma alone or schistosoma and tumor cells showed more decreases after treatment with both cisplatin and PZQ. The results of this study showed that there is no mutual interaction between schistosomiasis infection and tumor burden. It also showed that PZQ has no effect on antitumor parameters while cisplatin even at low doses has anti-schistosomal effects.