Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40402283›Full record

ArticleCancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII2025

Molecular mimicry between parasites and cancer: a novel approach for developing cancer vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.

Maha Mohamed Eissa, Sonia Rifaat Ahmed Allam, Cherine Adel Ismail, Rasha Abdelmawla Ghazala, Nahla El Skhawy, Eman Ibrahim El-Said Ibrahim

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Veterinary sciences · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maha Mohamed EissaDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Al-Moassat Medical Campus, Alexandria, Egypt.
Sonia Rifaat Ahmed AllamDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Al-Moassat Medical Campus, Alexandria, Egypt.
Cherine Adel IsmailDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Rasha Abdelmawla GhazalaDepartment of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Nahla El SkhawyDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Al-Moassat Medical Campus, Alexandria, Egypt.
Eman Ibrahim El-Said IbrahimDepartment of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Al-Moassat Medical Campus, Alexandria, Egypt. eman.ibrahim1812@alexmed.edu.eg.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases worldwide. Conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have limitations and adverse effects. Cancer immunotherapy and targeted therapies offer new treatment options. Parasite-based cancer therapy shows promise in fighting tumors. Some parasites have anti-cancer properties through multi-mechanistic strategies, with the molecular mimicry theory as a leading explanation for parasites' anti-cancer effects. This study aimed to explore the existence of shared antigenic proteins between parasites (Trichinella spiralis, Schistosoma mansoni, and Toxoplasma gondii) and cancer cell lines (MCF-7 human breast cancer and A549 human lung cancer). Polyclonal antisera against T. spiralis, S. mansoni, and T. gondii parasites were generated in rabbits. Antibody reactivity with extracts of MCF-7 and A549 cancer cells was detected using SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. Results documented the molecular mimicry between parasites and cancers as it revealed cross-reactive bands when using T. spiralis antibodies against MCF-7 and A549 cancer cell extracts at approximate molecular weights of 70 and 35 kDa, and with S. mansoni antibodies at an approximate molecular weight of 80 kDa. Toxoplasma gondii antibodies neither reacted with MCF-7 human breast cancer nor A549 human lung cancer cell extracts. Results of this study could establish a foundation for subsequent investigation among a broad range of parasites for molecular mimicry with cancers. Identification, molecular characterization, and investigation of the anti-neoplastic activity of these cross-reactive antigens could shed light on new pathways for the potential development of a novel class of innovative cancer vaccine candidates and therapeutic antibodies of parasitic origin for cancer immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Indexed as

Cancer VaccinesMolecular MimicryNeoplasmsA549 CellsAnimalsCell Line, TumorCross ReactionsFemaleHumansImmunotherapyMCF-7 CellsRabbitsSchistosoma mansoniToxoplasmaCancer VaccinesCancerCancer therapyMolecular mimicryParasites

Identifiers

PMID40402283
PMCPMC12098237

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.