Schistosoma mansoni larvae in vitro cultures using Biomphalaria glabrata extracts

Schistosomiasis is one of the most prevalent waterborne parasitic diseases affecting humans. In natural conditions, snails are necessary for maintenance of its lifecycle and also required as intermediate hosts to maintain the lifecycle in laboratory settings. In the present study, the location of S. mansoni larvae in Biomphalaria glabrata snails after infection (inoculation of miracidia) was investigated. Larvae were found located in the head-foot (HF) area of B. glabrata snails at 10 days post-infection (DPI), then their location was predominantly changed to the hepatopancreas and ovotestis (HPOT) area by 56 DPI. Next, the effects of extracts from various organs of B. glabrata snails including HF and HPOT for in vitro culturing of S. mansoni larvae were investigated. The HF extract enabled prolonged culturing of S. mansoni larvae. Furthermore, sequential use of that followed by the HPOT extract supported larval development or reproduction of daughter sporocysts. These results may provide important information for identifying essential factors and molecules for culturing Schistosoma larvae in vitro.