Bugs as drugs: parasite biomolecules as novel therapeutics against breast cancer

Contemporary breast cancer treatments include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, all of which are invasive or accompanied by severe side effects. Although emerging research suggests that parasites have unique features that may be capitalized to develop innovative cancer treatments, the idea of using parasites for therapeutic purposes has been around for more than 3,500 yr. Parasites constitute a novel source of biomolecules with potent immunomodulatory and antitumor properties. This review summarizes our current knowledge on how components of the host response to parasite infection, specifically the inflammatory response, could be exploited to develop novel therapeutics for breast cancer. By identifying the molecular mechanisms behind parasite-induced antitumor properties, pathogen biomolecules could be potentially used as effective therapeutic alternatives or additives against breast cancer.