Overcoming multi‐resistant leishmania treatment by nanoencapsulation of potent antimicrobials

Abstract

Leishmaniasis corresponds to a group of neglected tropical diseases caused by flagellated protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus. This widely spread illness is found in over 90 countries in tropical and sub-tropical regions and also in southern Europe. As parasites exclusively infect highly phagocytic cells (macrophages), this aspect can be exploited for targeted delivery making use of nanoparticles. Drug-loaded nanoparticles have been proposed for improving the bioavailability of classical drugs commonly in use as standard leishmania therapy, to overcome parasitic resistance and side effects and to improve treatment efficacy. Infected macrophages are expected to recognize drug-loaded nanoparticles, which undergo phagocytosis releasing the drug inside the macrophages. This approach can further be exploited for the development of nanovaccines. This paper provides an overview of the current disease status worldwide, its classical pharmacological treatments and how these can be improved by the use of featured nanoparticles specifically tailored for such a complex disease. Several types of nanoparticles have been proposed while others have already reached clinical trials.

Annatto Oil Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers: A Potential New Treatment for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

“…Leishmania parasites are transmitted to humans through the bite of female sandflies of the genera Lutzomyia and Phlebotomus. Like many protozoan parasites, Leishmania parasites have a digenetic lifecycle: an extracellular mobile stage (promastigote), exclusive to the invertebrate host, and an intracellular (amastigote) non-mobile stage in a mammalian vertebrate host [9], where the parasites infect cells of the phagocytic mononuclear system, where the macrophages are the main cellular compartment in the vertebrate host [10].…”

Volatile Nitrogenous Compounds from Bacteria: Source of Novel Bioactive Compounds

“…Leishmaniasis is an example of a tropical disease, which is caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania, predominantly affecting African, Asian and Latin American countries. [88] Chemotherapy is its standard treatment, but it is strongly associated with high toxicity and low efficiency with limited patients compliance of such endemic regions and new treatments are thus being proposed. [89] A potent imidazo [1,2-a]pyrazine-based antileishmanial compound has been reported by Bazin et al to target L-CK1.2 at low micromolar ranges.…”

In focus: latest development of nanotechnology in Latin America

“…Oliveira et al summarized the challenges in tackling multi-resistant leishmania. 10 With the development of nanocapsules for antimicrobials, the bioavailability of drugs has been improved and effective to combat parasitic resistance, with lower side effects and enhanced treatment efficacy. Nanoparticles encapsulated with essential oils and bupivacaine have also been shown to be an effective treatment of melanoma, which can lead to the development of skin cancer, as reported by Geronimo et al 11 This formulation also showed high physical and chemical stability within one year.…”