Artemether is an artemisinin derivative that is used as an antimalarial drug, especially in situations where chloroquine resistance is suspected. This compound has proved to be a good prophylactic agent against schistosomiasis japonica in China. In the present study, the therapeutic efficacies of different artemether-dosing protocols were evaluated in experimentally infected mice harbouring adult Schistosoma mansoni (Egyptian strain). Mice were treated on day 46 onwards with three dosing protocols (400 mg/kg/day for 2 days; 200 mg/kg/day for 4 days; 100 mg/kg/day for 6 days) after being infected. A number of parasitological and histopathological criteria were employed in the assessment of drug efficacies compared to infected untreated control 2 weeks post-treatment. The results of the present study suggest that artemether is efficacious against the Egyptian strain of S. mansoni with total worm reductions ranging from 40.7% to 59.7% and female worm reductions ranging from 69.3% to >90%. In addition, artemether induced significant reductions, ranging from 75.2% to 82.6%, in the liver tissue egg loads as well as significant reductions, ranging from 68.8% to 78.9% in the intestinal wall egg loads. It also induced significant alterations in the oogram pattern in the intestinal mucosa of infected mice with cessation of oviposition and increased rates of dead eggs. Antipathologic activities were also evident in the amelioration of granulomas in the liver with increased ratios of healed to active ones. In conclusion, artemether could be a promising agent in the control of schistosomiasis mansoni due to its schistosomicidal effects on female worms and to its ovicidal power as well as its potentiality in the improvement of hepatic lesions.

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Current work is one of our comprehensive preclinical studies, a new approach to breast cancer (BC) immunotherapy through induction of tumour cell apoptosis. Tumour growth is not just a result of uncontrolled cell proliferation but also of reduced apoptosis. High levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) are associated with metastatic BC and correlated with poor survival as it promotes growth of tumour-initiating cells during early tumorigenesis protecting these cells from apoptosis. Therefore, this study aims at investigating the potential of anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies to suppress IL-6 proliferative/anti-apoptotic activities in intact tumour microenvironment of BC. Fresh sterile tumour and normal breast tissue specimens were taken from 50 female Egyptian patients with BC undergoing radical mastectomy. A unique tissue culture system designed to provide cells of each intact tumour/normal tissue sample with its proper microenvironment either supplemented or not with anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies. To evaluate the apoptotic activity of anti-IL-6 as a novel candidate for BC treatment strategy, we compared its effects with those obtained using tumour necrosis-related apoptosis-inducing ligand TRAIL as an established apoptotic agent. Our results revealed that levels of either anti-IL-6-or TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the tumour or normal tissue cultures were significantly higher than those in their corresponding untreated ones (P < 0.001). No statistically significant differences have been found between apoptosis levels induced by anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies and those induced by TRAIL. Recombinant anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibodies could represent a novel effective element of immunotherapeutic treatment strategy for BC. The selectivity and anti-apoptotic potential of anti-IL-6 is highly hopeful in IL-6-abundant BC tumour microenvironment.

Significant increase in serum HGF levels were found in patients with breast cancer as compared with controls. Significant increase was also seen in patients with breast cancer with and without lymph node metastasis when each subgroup was compared with controls. Serum level of HGF is an independent prognostic indicator of breast cancer. Fibrocystic disease of the breast showed weak HGFR expression, while in normal tissue, HGFR was scanty; meanwhile, breast invasive ductal carcinoma showed homogenous strong reaction to HGFR. HGF is only one of a number of key factors involved in breast cancer and preoperative high serum HGF levels and malignancy occur usually together.

Many studies demonstrate that increased microvessel density (MVD) surrounding primary tumour is associated with decreased overall survival in patients with breast cancer. This study compares the diagnostic and prognostic values of the angiogenic serum factors nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and copper with those of serum CA15-3 as the standard tumour marker in breast cancer patients. Microvessel density was estimated in CD31-immunostained sections from breast cancer patients. Before surgery, NO, TNFalpha, bFGF, copper and CA 15-3 were measured in serum samples from 30 premenopausal breast cancer patients in comparison with 15 healthy controls. The diagnostic values of the assayed parameters were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Univariate survival analysis of patients was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Breast cancer tissues showed higher MVD than did normal breast tissues adjacent to the tumour (P = 0.008). Before surgery, tumour MVD correlated significantly with serum NO, TNFalpha, bFGF and copper (r = 0.458, P = .011; r = 0.379, P = .039; r = 0.513, P = .004 and r = 0.613, P = 0.000, respectively). Serum NO, TNFalpha, bFGF, copper and CA 15-3 levels in patients were significantly elevated compared with controls (P = 0.011, P = 0.004, P = 0.039, P = 0.000 and P = 0.001, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with elevated serum TNFalpha, CA 15-3 and copper (P = 0.035, P = 0.040, P = 0.0339, respectively) had an overall survival significantly shorter than those who had lower levels of these parameters. These data suggest that serum TNFalpha, CA 15-3 and copper are useful predictive markers for overall survival in premenopausal breast cancer patients.