Metformin Suppresses Development of the Echinococcus multilocularis Larval Stage by Targeting the TOR Pathway

Abstract

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis . Current chemotherapeutic treatment options based on benzimidazoles are of limited effectiveness, which underlines the need to find new antiechinococcosis drugs. Metformin is an antihyperglycemic and antiproliferative agent that shows activity against the related parasite Echinococcus granulosus . Hence, we assessed the in vitro and in vivo effects of the drug on E. multilocularis .