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Metformin, only in the average human antidiabetic dose, offers a protective effect against scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment, while no deleterious effect was observed with the higher dose, which may support a bonus effect of metformin in type 2 diabetic patients.

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Considerable evidence indicates a negative correlation between the prevalence of some parasitic infections and cancer and their interference with tumor growth. Therefore, parasitic antigens seem to be promising candidates for cancer immunotherapy. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of autoclaved Schistosoma mansoni and Trichinella spiralis antigens against a colon cancer murine model was investigated. Both antigens showed immunomodulatory potential, as evidenced by a significant decrease in serum IL-17, a significant increase in serum IL-10, and the percentage of splenic CD4T-cells and intestinal FoxP3 Treg cells. However, treatment with S. mansoni antigen yielded protection against the deleterious effect of DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis only, with a significant decrease in the average lesion size and number of neoplasias per mouse. For the first time, we report an inhibitory effect of S. mansoni antigen on the progression of chemically induced colon carcinogenesis, but the exact mechanism has yet to be clarified. This anti-tumor strategy could introduce a new era of medicine in which a generation of anticancer vaccines of parasitic origin would boost the therapy for incurable cancers.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive decline in memory, language and other cognitive functions. Recent studies provide convincing evidence on the role of vitamin D3 on the nervous system. Aim: To investigate the effect of the active form of vitamin D3 (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) as a neuroprotective agent in experimentally induced AD in rats. Methods: 40 adult male Wistar (albino) rats weighing 180 to 200 g were included in this study. Rats were divided into four groups (each of 10 rats): Group I: normal healthy rats receiving intracerebroventricular injection (icv) of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) and serving as a control group. Group II: rats with induced AD by icv colchicine injection of 15 lg/rat bilaterally and receiving no treatment. Group III: rats pre-treated with active form of vitamin D3 42 IU/kg/day subcutaneously (s.c.) for one week followed by induction of AD then post-treated with vitamin D3 in the same dose for 3 weeks. Group IV: rats with induced AD then post-treated with vitamin D3 for 3 weeks. The following parameters were evaluated in rats of all studied groups: