Imatinib, a drug used for treatment of human chronic myeloid leukaemia, due to its activity against protein kinases, has been also evaluated
in vitro against
Schistosoma mansoni
showing high schistosomicidal activity. In the present experiments imatinib activity
in vitro was confirmed at the doses of 25 μM, 50 μM and 100 μM. The first drug activity observed with the lower dose was interruption of egg-laying and with the higher dosages was the death of the worms. In mice infected with
S. mansoni no activity was found even with 1,000 mg/kg/day, 500 mg/kg/day, single oral dose or when administered for three consecutive days. This is another example of the difference of results related to
in vitro and
in vivo trials using
S. mansoni worms.
