ArticleParasites & vectors2022
Plasmodium infection suppresses colon cancer growth by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis associated with disrupting mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in mice.
Article in Parasites & vectors, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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9 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Malaria and cancer: common features and interactions.Trends in parasitology · 2026Review
- Parasites' immunomodulators: a breakthrough in immunotherapeutics displaying antineoplastic activity against human colorectal and hepatocellular carcinoma cells.Infectious agents and cancer · 2025Article
- Molecular mimicry between parasites and cancer: a novel approach for developing cancer vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII · 2025Article
- Unveiling the anti-neoplastic potential of Schistosoma mansoni-derived antigen against breast cancer: a pre-clinical study.European journal of medical research · 2025Article
- The role of mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy in gastrointestinal tumors.Cancer cell international · 2025Review
- Association of Neuroblastoma (NB) SH-SY5Y Cells with Antibodies of Parasitic Origin (Anti-International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Parasites revive hope for cancer therapy.European journal of medical research · 2024Review
- A novel enemy of cancer: recent investigations into protozoan anti-tumor properties.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Review
- New 1,2,3-Triazole-Coumarin-Glycoside Hybrids and Their 1,2,4-Triazolyl Thioglycoside Analogs Targeting Mitochondria Apoptotic Pathway: Synthesis, Anticancer Activity and Docking Simulation.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
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14 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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Abstract
backgroundColon cancer is a common gastrointestinal tumor with a poor prognosis, and thus new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. The antitumor effect of Plasmodium infection has been reported in some murine models, but it is not clear whether it has an anti-colon cancer effect. In this study, we investigated the anti-colon cancer effect of Plasmodium infection and its related mechanisms using a mouse model of colon cancer.
methodsAn experimental model was established by intraperitoneal injection of Plasmodium yoelii 17XNL-infected erythrocytes into mice with colon cancer. The size of tumors was observed dynamically in mice, and the expression of Ki67 detected by immunohistochemistry was used to analyze tumor cell proliferation. Apoptosis was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins including Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3 was detected by western blot and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the ultrastructural change in colon cancer cells, and the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis correlative central protein, PGC-1α, and mitophagy relevant crucial proteins, PINK1/Parkin, were detected by western blot.
resultsWe found that Plasmodium infection reduced the weight and size of tumors and decreased the expression of Ki67 in colon cancer-bearing mice. Furthermore, Plasmodium infection promoted mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in colon cancer cells, as evidenced by the increased proportion of TUNEL-positive cells, the upregulated expression of Bax, caspase-9, and cleaved caspase-3 proteins, and the downregulated expression of Bcl-2 protein. In colon cancer cells, we found destroyed cell nuclei, swollen mitochondria, missing cristae, and a decreased number of autolysosomes. In addition, Plasmodium infection disturbed mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy through the reduced expression of PGC-1α, PINK1, and Parkin proteins in colon cancer cells.
conclusionsPlasmodium infection can play an anti-colon cancer role in mice by inhibiting proliferation and promoting mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in colon cancer cells, which may relate to mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy.
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