What is it about?
This work reports for the first time, in dogs naturally infected with L. infantum, the therapeutic efficacy of the liposome formulation of meglumine antimoniate consisting of a mixture of conventional and long-circulating (PEGylated) liposomes, in association with allopurinol. In comparison to the treatment currently available for CVL involving either MA or miltefosine, the use of a mixed-liposome formulation may present the following advantages: (i) lower frequency of dosing, (ii) reduced side effects, (iii) greater efficacy, and (iv) lower risk of induction of drug resistance.
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Why is it important?
Because Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected disease caused by mandatory intracellular protozoa from the Leishmania donovani complex. It is fatal in more than 95% of cases if it is not treated in time. It is estimated that 50,000 to 90,000 new cases of VL occur worldwide each year. Most cases occur in Brazil, East Africa and Southeast Asia. The parasite is transmitted to humans and dogs through the bites of infected female sandflies of the genera Lutzomyia in the New World, and Phlebotomus in the Old World. The zoonotic VL that occurs in countries of the Mediterranean basin, Central Asia, and the Americas, is caused by Leishmania infantum and domestic dogs are the most important urban reservoirs of this parasite. That is why the search for an effective treatment for dogs is so important.
Perspectives
Although only an antimonial drug was used in the present study, this concept can possibly be extended to other drugs in clinical use, such as miltefosine or amphotericin B. Alternatively, our formulation may find application in the treatment of human leishmaniases. Indeed, due to its broad distribution among MPS tissues, the mixed formulation is promising for the treatment of disseminated forms of leishmaniasis, like Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis, HIV-VL coinfection, and disseminated cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniases.
Cristiano Cheim Peixoto dos Santos
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Therapeutic Efficacy of a Mixed Formulation of Conventional and PEGylated Liposomes Containing Meglumine Antimoniate, Combined with Allopurinol, in Dogs Naturally Infected with Leishmania infantum, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, April 2020, ASM Journals,
DOI: 10.1128/aac.00234-20.
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