Benznidazole Nanoformulates: A Chance to Improve Therapeutics for Chagas Disease

Abstract

This article describes the characterization of various encapsulated formulations of benznidazole, the current first-line drug for the treatment of Chagas disease. Given the adverse effects of benznidazole, safer formulations of this drug have a great interest. In fact, treatment of Chagas disease with benznidazole has to be discontinued in as much as 20% of cases due to side effects. Furthermore, modification of delivery and formulations could have potential effects on the emergence of drug resistance. The trypanocidal activity of new nanostructured formulations of benznidazole to eliminate Trypanosoma cruzi was studied in vitro as well as their toxicity in two cultured mammalian cell lines (HepG2 and Fibroblasts). Nanoparticles tested included nanostructured lipid carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, quatsomes, and cyclodextrins. The in vitro cytotoxicity of cyclodextrins–benznidazole complexes was significantly lower than that of free benznidazole, whereas their trypanocidal activity was not hampered. These results suggest that nanostructured particles may offer improved therapeutics for Chagas disease.

Using prodigiosin against some gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and Trypanosoma cruzi

“…For Trypanosoma cruzi CL-B5 maintenance, epimastigotes were cultured axenically at 28°C in liver infusion-tryptose medium (LIT; DifcoTM BD, MD, USA; Conda Pronadisa, Madrid, Spain) supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (FBS; Gibco, Life Technologies, AU, NZ) plus antibiotics (100 μg streptomycin sulfate/ml and 100 U penicillin G sodium salt/ml, SP; Sigma Aldrich, CA, USA). The CL-B5 strain was maintained in exponential growth by weekly passages [24,25].…”

Cyclodextrin Based Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Theranostics

“…123 Some recent case studies of the CDs in the optimal drug delivery of drugs, proteins, peptides and aptamers are reported in the Table 3. [124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138][139][140] CDs can be moulded into various types of formulation for proving ease the drug delivery by diverse routes of administration.…”

Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems for the treatment of neglected tropical protozoan diseases

“…Several studies have characterized various encapsulated formulations of BZN, the current first-line drug for the treatment of Chagas disease. Novel nanostructure BZN carrier efficacy was examined in fibroblasts in vitro as well as in vivo murine models resulting in reduced mammalian cell cytotoxicity, decreased parasite viability and increased survival rates of infected mice [86-89]. Similarly, lychnopholide encapsulated in polymeric nanocapsules was effective in curing chronic phase infection via oral administration and was just as effective as standard BZN treatment during acute phase via intravenous administration in murine models [90, 91].…”