The anticancer drug imatinib induces autophagy in Schistosoma mansoni. Issue 4 (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mughal, Mudassar N.; Grevelding, Christoph G.; Haeberlein, Simone
• Is Part Of: International journal for parasitology. Volume 52:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 215
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Schistosoma mansoni -- Imatinib -- Bafilomycin A1 -- LC3B -- Cathepsins -- Autophagy; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitologie -- Périodiques; Parasitology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 571.999
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.10.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0020-7519

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Imatinib induces expression of the autophagy marker LC3B in Schistosoma mansoni. This is blocked by co-treatment of worms with the autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1. Bafilomycin A1 reverses antischistosomal effects of imatinib such as gut dilatations. Bafilomycin A1 attenuates imatinib-induced expression changes of intestinal cathepsins. Abstract: Schistosomiasis, caused by schistosome parasites, is a neglected tropical disease affecting humans and animals. There is no vaccine available yet, and fear of upcoming resistance against the only widely used drug, praziquantel, is omnipresent. Previously, we showed that imatinib (Gleevec), an anticancer drug, affected schistosome physiology and caused the death of adult Schistosoma mansoni in vitro. Here, we present the first known evidence that one effect of imatinib is the induction of autophagy in S. mansoni . Furthermore, worms co-treated with imatinib and bafilomycin A1, a late-phase autophagy inhibitor, reversed imatinib-induced autophagy and its antischistosomal effects as revealed by phenotypic and molecular analyses.