Oleuropein: a viable therapeutic option for malaria and cancer.

Oleuropein (OLP) holds promise as a therapeutic candidate for both Plasmodium falciparum infection and cancer. It modulates the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt1 signaling pathway to regulate inflammation and restore immune homeostasis. Moreover, it influences the cell death/autophagy axis, along with increasing the antimalarial efficacy of artemisinin. Our findings indicate that the anti-breast-cancer effect of OLP could be mediated by regulating the balance of T helper 17 and regulatory T cells. Additionally, we discuss the use of hematopoietic-stem-cell-transplanted immunodeficient mice with a humanized immune system for validating the antimalarial activity, autophagy and anticancer activity of OLP.