| Popis: |
Amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB) or Fungizone is a well-known antifungal drug belonging to the polyene class, which was originally isolated from Streptomyces nodosus. Interestingly, AmB also presents antiparasitic properties, including anti-Leishmania action. Thinking into the drug repurposing strategy, AmB has been administered as an alternative treatment for leishmaniasis since the 1960s due to the increasing parasite resistance to the classical antimonials (e.g., glucantime), presenting good clinical outcomes. Different mechanisms of action have already been described for AmB, such as membrane sterol binding, ergosterol sequestration, and production of reactive oxygen species. However, AmB also able to interact with cholesterol in human plasma membranes, promoting a number of frequent and serious side effects, which are limiting factors in the administration of this drug. The use of AmB in clinical settings is related to different side effects such as vomiting, nephrotoxicity, nausea, and anemia, which often result in treatment failures. In order to reduce the adverse side effects and to increase effectiveness, the field of AmB nanotechnology-based controlled release systems has been widely studied and explored over the last years. Nanoparticles are polymeric colloidal particles that can encapsulate a wide variety of drugs with different physicochemical characteristics, and they have an efficient system of control and targeted drug delivery to infected cells, for example. Studies on the development of AmB nanoparticles with anti-Leishmania action indicate that these formulations have reduced toxicity rates and increased therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, this review aims to present the recent developments of different AmB carrier nanoparticles and their effectiveness as an anti-Leishmania agent. |
