ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2019
Insects in anthelminthics research: Lady beetle-derived harmonine affects survival, reproduction and stem cell proliferation of Schistosoma mansoni.
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Rocaglates and pateamines target the DEAD-box RNA helicase eIF4A from Schistosoma mansoni and demonstrate anti-schistosomal activity in vitro.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Long Non-Coding RNAs Identified as Hub Genes by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis inInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Host-specific platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase selectively remodels diacylglycerophospholipids to control schistosome development.PLoS pathogens · 2026Article
- Chemosensory protein 16 has an immune function and participates in host-pathogen interaction inVirulence · 2025Article
- Antischistosomal Potential of Animal-Derived Natural Products and Compounds.Microorganisms · 2025Review
- The retinoic acid family-like nuclear receptor SmRAR identified by single-cell transcriptomics of ovarian cells controls oocyte differentiation in Schistosoma mansoni.Nucleic acids research · 2025Article
- The interaction ofProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Bis-3-chloropiperidines: a novel motif for anthelmintic drug design.RSC advances · 2025Article
- The DEAD-box RNA helicase eIF4A is a crucial factor for stem-cell activity and reproduction of the parasiteFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2025Article
- Identification of potent schistosomicidal compounds predicted as type II-kinase inhibitors againstFrontiers in parasitology · 2024Article
- Defining an optimal control for RNAi experiments with adult Schistosoma mansoni.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Broad anti-pathogen potential of DEAD box RNA helicase eIF4A-targeting rocaglates.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- JQ-1 ameliorates schistosomiasis liver granuloma in mice by suppressing male and female reproductive systems and egg development of Schistosoma japonicum.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- First In Silico Screening of Insect Molecules for Identification of Novel Anti-Parasitic Compounds.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- High-resolution AP-SMALDI MSI as a tool for drug imaging in Schistosoma mansoni.Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · 2021Article
- Innovations and Advances in Schistosome Stem Cell Research.Frontiers in immunology · 2021Review
- Anthelminthic Activity of Assassin Bug Venom against the Blood FlukeAntibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Article
- Chemotherapy for human schistosomiasis: how far have we come? What's new? Where do we go from here?RSC medicinal chemistry · 2020Review
- Novel cholinesterase paralogs of Schistosoma mansoni have perceived roles in cholinergic signalling and drug detoxification and are essential for parasite survival.PLoS pathogens · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Natural products have moved into the spotlight as possible sources for new drugs in the treatment of helminth infections including schistosomiasis. Surprisingly, insect-derived compounds have largely been neglected so far in the search for novel anthelminthics, despite the generally recognized high potential of insect biotechnology for drug discovery. This motivated us to assess the antischistosomal capacity of harmonine, an antimicrobial alkaloid from the harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis that raised high interest in insect biotechnology in recent years. We observed remarkably pleiotropic effects of harmonine on physiological, cellular, and molecular processes in adult male and female Schistosoma mansoni at concentrations as low as 5 μM in vitro. This included tegumental damage, gut dilatation, dysplasia of gonads, a complete stop of egg production at 10 μM, and increased production of abnormally shaped eggs at 5 μM. Motility was reduced with an EC50 of 8.8 μM and lethal effects occurred at 10-20 μM within 3 days of culture. Enzyme inhibition assays revealed acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as one potential target of harmonine. To assess possible effects on stem cells, which represent attractive anthelminthic targets, we developed a novel in silico 3D reconstruction of gonads based on confocal laser scanning microscopy of worms after EdU incorporation to allow for quantification of proliferating stem cells per organ. Harmonine significantly reduced the number of proliferating stem cells in testes, ovaries, and also the number of proliferating parenchymal neoblasts. This was further supported by a downregulated expression of the stem cell markers nanos-1 and nanos-2 in harmonine-treated worms revealed by quantitative real-time PCR. Our data demonstrate a multifaceted antischistosomal activity of the lady beetle-derived compound harmonine, and suggest AChE and stem cell genes as possible targets. Harmonine is the first animal-derived alkaloid detected to have antischistosomal capacity. This study highlights the potential of exploiting insects as a source for the discovery of anthelminthics.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.