Mesocestoides corti transcriptome

Cancer remains positioned as the leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 10 million deaths and an estimated 20 million new cases yearly. Here, we present analyses of molecular data from the tumor-suppressing larvae of the tapeworm Mesocestoides corti, the intraperitoneal infection of which has previously demonstrated the ability to abrogate the growth and metastasis of the highly aggressive B16F10 melanoma in mice. In order to explore the potential effector mechanisms and molecules behind its cancer-suppressive capabilities, we analyzed the M. corti larval transcriptome in the C57BL/6J and ICR mouse strains, as well as in vitro, and the proteomic profiles of whole worm homogenate and its excretory-secretory products. We present, thus far, the most extensive list of experimentally verified M. corti protein products. These were searched for molecules potentially responsible for the tapeworm's immune-related cancer-suppressive abilities. Many proteins with potential immunomodulatory properties were found within its proteome, including those from the cysteine-rich secretory CAP superfamily, such as GLIPR-like proteins. Furthermore, functional tests of McKI-C1, an ortholog of the anti-cancer Kunitz inhibitor EgKI-1 from Echinococcus granulosus, were performed both in vitro and in vivo, to ascertain whether it could express a similar effect. While McKI-C1 did not show itself as an effector molecule in the tapeworm's cancer-suppressive abilities, the extensive list of potentially functional molecules prompts further exploration.