1
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Sharma K, Shah J, Singh S, Sengupta S. Development of Amphotericin B Decorated Gold Nanoparticles as a Promising Antileishmanial Nanoconjugate. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:6239-6248. [PMID: 39155492 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, attributed to the protozoan parasite Leishmania, manifests in diverse clinical forms, including cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis; VL constitutes a significant global health menace. Prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, this affliction disproportionately impacts individuals below the poverty threshold, transmitted through the bite of female sandflies. Existing treatments, such as pentavalent antimony, miltefosine, and Amphotericin B, exhibit limitations. Despite the emergence of liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome) as a promising antileishmanial agent, its utility is impeded by adverse effects, elevated production expenses, and cytotoxicity. To address these challenges, our investigation introduces a potential remedy─a citrate-coated gold Amphotericin B nanoparticle formulation. Characterized using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, this pioneering formulation exhibited efficacy against L. donovani Ag83 promastigotes as demonstrated by MTT cell viability testing. Evaluating internal reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and dual staining with acridine orange and ethidium bromide unveiled its consequential impact on cell death. Significantly, our study discloses this novel nanoformulation's unprecedented inhibition of the trypanothione reductase enzyme. The findings posit the citrate-coated gold Amphotericin B nanoformulation as a promising and targeted antileishmanial agent, representing potential advancements in leishmaniasis therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kikku Sharma
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Central Campus, Ahmedabad University, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, India
| | - Juhi Shah
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Central Campus, Ahmedabad University, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, India
| | - Sanjay Singh
- National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Opposite Journalist Colony, Near Gowlidoddy, Extended Q-City Road, Gachibowli, Hyderabad - 500032, Telangana, India
| | - Souvik Sengupta
- Biological and Life Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Central Campus, Ahmedabad University, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380009, India
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2
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Adem E, Yizengaw E, Mulaw T, Nibret E, Müller I, Takele Y, Kropf P. Altered co-stimulatory and inhibitory receptors on monocyte subsets in patients with visceral leishmaniasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012417. [PMID: 39159266 PMCID: PMC11373857 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites from the Leishmania (L.) donovani complex. VL is characterised by uncontrolled parasite replication in spleen, liver and bone marrow, and by an impaired immune response and high systemic levels of inflammation. Monocytes have been poorly characterised in VL patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression levels of markers involved in the regulation of T cell responses on different subsets of monocytes from the blood of VL patients and healthy non-endemic controls (HNEC). Monocytes can broadly be divided into three subsets: classical, intermediate and non-classical monocytes. Our results show that the percentages of all three subsets stayed similar at the time of VL diagnosis (ToD) and at the end of anti-leishmanial treatment (EoT). We first looked at co-stimulatory receptors: the expression levels of CD40 were significantly increased on classical and intermediate, but not non-classical monocytes, at ToD as compared to EoT and HNEC. CD80 expression levels were also increased on intermediate monocytes at ToD as compared to EoT and HNEC, and on classical monocytes only as compared to HNEC. The levels of CD86 were similar at EoT and ToD and in HNEC on classical and intermediate monocytes, but significantly higher at EoT on non-classical monocytes. We also looked at an inhibitory molecule, PD-L1. Our results show that the expression levels of PD-L1 were significantly higher on all three monocyte subsets at ToD as compared to HNEC, and to EoT on classical and intermediate monocytes. These results show that monocytes from the blood of VL patients upregulate both co-stimulatory and inhibitory receptors and that their expression levels are restored at EoT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emebet Adem
- Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Centre, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Endalew Yizengaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
- Institute of Biotechnology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
- Amhara Public Health Institute, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tadele Mulaw
- Leishmaniasis Research and Treatment Centre, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Endalkachew Nibret
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
- Institute of Biotechnology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Ingrid Müller
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yegnasew Takele
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pascale Kropf
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Roy S, Roy S, Banerjee M, Madbhagat P, Chande A, Ukil A. Antileishmanial Activity of Cathelicidin and its Modulation by Leishmania donovani in a cAMP Response Element Modulator-Dependent Manner in Infection. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:172-182. [PMID: 39052704 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Concerns regarding toxicity and resistance of current drugs in visceral leishmaniasis have been reported. Antimicrobial peptides are considered to be promising candidates and among them human cathelicidin hCAP18/LL-37 showed significant parasite killing on drug-sensitive and resistant Leishmania promastigotes, in addition to its apoptosis-inducing role. Administration of hCAP18/LL-37 to infected macrophages also decreased parasite survival and increased the host favorable cytokine interleukin 12. However, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (vitamin D3)-induced endogenous hCAP18/LL-37 production was hampered in infected THP-1 cells. Infection also suppressed the vitamin D3 receptor (VDR), transcription factor of hCAP18/LL-37. cAMP response element modulator (CREM), the repressor of VDR, was induced in infection, resulting in suppression of both VDR and cathelicidin expression. PGE2/cAMP/PKA axis was found to regulate CREM induction during infection and silencing CREM in infected cells and BALB/c mice led to decreased parasite survival. This study documents the antileishmanial potential of cathelicidin and further identifies CREM as a repressor of cathelicidin in Leishmania infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Roy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Souravi Roy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Pratibha Madbhagat
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Ajit Chande
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhopal, India
| | - Anindita Ukil
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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Worku KM, Asfaw BG, Mamo DN, Haile Y, Tesfa H, Aemero M. Medicinal plants with promising antileishmanial activity in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38480. [PMID: 39259058 PMCID: PMC11142835 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Toxicity and resistance to chemotherapy used to treat leishmaniasis are increasing. Research on natural plant compounds has revealed their antileishmanial effects on certain Leishmania organisms. This review aimed to estimate the pooled IC50 values of medicinal plants with promising antileishmanial activity in Ethiopia. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted using Science Direct, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar to locate potential studies. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals and gray literature in university repositories before April 1, 2022, which included a full-length study reporting the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of Ethiopian medicinal plants that were written in English were included. Conference proceedings, review articles, letters to the editor, and correspondence were excluded. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the GIVIMP critical appraisal tools. Heterogeneity between studies was verified using Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test statistics, and the effects were checked using Egger statistical test at a level of significance. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled IC50 of the medicinal plants. RESULTS Six articles that were conducted in Ethiopia that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with a total of 62 in vitro experiments, were reviewed. The aggregated mean IC50 for medicinal plants in Ethiopia was 16.80 (95% CI: 12.44, 21.16) and 13.81 (95% CI: 13.12, 14.50) µg/mL for antipromastigote and antiamastigote activity, respectively. Aqueous was the significant preparation with IC50 of 0.53 (0.34, 0.73) µg/mL against promastigote and 0.98 (0.20, 1.76) µg/mL against the amastigote stage. DISCUSSION This review indicated that the pooled mean of IC50 for Ethiopian medicinal plants against promastigotes and amastigotes was relatively low and showed better efficacy. This strongly suggests the need to focus on antipromastigote and antiamastigote medicinal plants in Ethiopia for the development of antileishmanial drugs. It is necessary to identify their active components, and their potential toxic effects can lead to the production of well-tolerated and safe drugs for leishmaniasis. The high heterogeneity is the limitation of this study. REGISTRATION The review has been registered at Prospero with identification number CRD42022343543.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kassahun Misgana Worku
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | - Birhanu Genanew Asfaw
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | - Daniel Niguse Mamo
- Department of Health Informatics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | - Yosef Haile
- Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia
| | - Habtie Tesfa
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Mulugeta Aemero
- Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
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Das N, Roy J, Patra B, Saunders E, Sarkar D, Goon S, Sinha BP, Roy S, Roy S, Sarif J, Bandopadhyay P, Barik S, Mukherjee S, McNamara N, Varghese S, Simpson K, Baell J, McConville M, Ganguly D, Talukdar A. Hit-to-lead optimization of 2-aminoquinazolines as anti-microbial agents against Leishmania donovani. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 269:116256. [PMID: 38461679 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a potentially fatal disease caused by infection by the intracellular protist pathogens Leishmania donovani or Leishmania infantum. Present therapies are ineffective because of high costs, variable efficacy against different species, the requirement for hospitalization, toxicity and drug resistance. Detailed analysis of previously published hit molecules suggested a crucial role of 'guanidine' linkage for their efficacy against L. donovani. Here we report the design of 2-aminoquinazoline heterocycle as a basic pharmacophore-bearing guanidine linkage. The introduction of various groups and functionality at different positions of the quinazoline scaffold results in enhanced antiparasitic potency with modest host cell cytotoxicity using a physiologically relevant THP-1 transformed macrophage infection model. In terms of the ADME profile, the C7 position of quinazoline was identified as a guiding tool for designing better molecules. The good ADME profile of the compounds suggests that they merit further consideration as lead compounds for treating visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nirmal Das
- Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Jayasree Roy
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Binita Patra
- Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Eleanor Saunders
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology (Bio21), University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Dipika Sarkar
- Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Sunny Goon
- Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Bishnu Prasad Sinha
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Shreya Roy
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Swarnali Roy
- Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Jafar Sarif
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Purbita Bandopadhyay
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Subhasis Barik
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Suravi Mukherjee
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India
| | - Nicole McNamara
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 2052, Australia
| | - Swapna Varghese
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 2052, Australia
| | - Kaylene Simpson
- Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan St, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Jonathan Baell
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University (Parkville Campus), 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 2052, Australia
| | - Malcolm McConville
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology (Bio21), University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Dipyaman Ganguly
- IICB-Translational Research Unit of Excellence, Department of Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorders, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, CN6, Sector V, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, West Bengal, India.
| | - Arindam Talukdar
- Department of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India.
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Tandoh KZ, Ibarra-Meneses AV, Langlais D, Olivier M, Torrecilhas AC, Fernandez-Prada C, Regev-Rudzki N, Duah-Quashie NO. Extracellular Vesicles: Translational Agenda Questions for Three Protozoan Parasites. Traffic 2024; 25:e12935. [PMID: 38629580 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The protozoan parasites Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania spp. and Trypanosoma cruzi continue to exert a significant toll on the disease landscape of the human population in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Control measures have helped reduce the burden of their respective diseases-malaria, leishmaniasis and Chagas disease-in endemic regions. However, the need for new drugs, innovative vaccination strategies and molecular markers of disease severity and outcomes has emerged because of developing antimicrobial drug resistance, comparatively inadequate or absent vaccines, and a lack of trustworthy markers of morbid outcomes. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been widely reported to play a role in the biology and pathogenicity of P. falciparum, Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi ever since they were discovered. EVs are secreted by a yet to be fully understood mechanism in protozoans into the extracellular milieu and carry a cargo of diverse molecules that reflect the originator cell's metabolic state. Although our understanding of the biogenesis and function of EVs continues to deepen, the question of how EVs in P. falciparum, Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi can serve as targets for a translational agenda into clinical and public health interventions is yet to be fully explored. Here, as a consortium of protozoan researchers, we outline a plan for future researchers and pose three questions to direct an EV's translational agenda in P. falciparum, Leishmania spp. and T. cruzi. We opine that in the long term, executing this blueprint will help bridge the current unmet needs of these medically important protozoan diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwesi Z Tandoh
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ana Victoria Ibarra-Meneses
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- The Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - David Langlais
- Department of Human Genetics, Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Canada
| | - Martin Olivier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Canada
- IDIGH, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ana Claudia Torrecilhas
- Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Laboratório de Imunologia Celular e Bioquímica de Fungos e Protozoários, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Christopher Fernandez-Prada
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- The Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill Research Centre on Complex Traits, Montreal, Canada
| | - Neta Regev-Rudzki
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Nancy O Duah-Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Bamorovat M, Sharifi I, Khosravi A, Aflatoonian MR, Agha Kuchak Afshari S, Salarkia E, Sharifi F, Aflatoonian B, Gharachorloo F, Khamesipour A, Mohebali M, Zamani O, Shirzadi MR, Gouya MM. Global Dilemma and Needs Assessment Toward Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Controlling Leishmaniasis. J Epidemiol Glob Health 2024; 14:22-34. [PMID: 38466368 PMCID: PMC11043315 DOI: 10.1007/s44197-024-00190-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a disease of poverty that imposes a devastating medical, social, and economic burden on over 1 billion people nationwide. To date, no in-depth study to analyze the major global challenges and needs assessment has been carried out. This investigation aimed to explore a comprehensive narrative review of leishmaniasis's main challenges and initially highlight obstacles that might impede the implementation of control measures. Also, we propose a specific list of priorities for needs assessment. The presence of socioeconomic factors, multiple clinical and epidemiological forms, various Leishmania species, the complexity of the life cycle, the absence of effective drugs and vaccines, and the lack of efficient vector and reservoir control make this organism unique and sophisticated in playing a tangled role to react tricky with its surrounding environments, despite extensive efforts and implementation of all-inclusive former control measures. These facts indicate that the previous strategic plans, financial support, and basic infrastructures connected to leishmaniasis surveillance are still insufficient. Strengthening the leishmaniasis framework in a context of accelerated programmatic action and intensification of cross-cutting activities along with other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) is confidently expected to result in greater effectiveness, cost-benefit, and fruitful management. Sensitive diagnostics, effective therapeutics, and efficacious vaccines are vital to accelerating advancement toward elimination, and reducing morbidity/mortality and program costs. Collective actions devoted by all sectors and policy-makers can hopefully overcome technical and operational barriers to guarantee that effective and coordinated implementation plans are sustained to meet the road map for NTDs 2021- 2030 goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Bamorovat
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Iraj Sharifi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
| | - Ahmad Khosravi
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | | | | | - Ehsan Salarkia
- Leishmaniasis Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Sharifi
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Behnaz Aflatoonian
- Research Center of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Faranak Gharachorloo
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Khamesipour
- Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohebali
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Omid Zamani
- Universal Health Coverage for Communicable Diseases (UHC: CD), World Health Organization, Country Office, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Shirzadi
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Gouya
- Center for Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
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8
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Kimcharoensuk S, Leelayoova S, Mungthin M, Nawattanapaibool N, Tan-Ariya P, Siripattanapipong S. In vitro drug susceptibility using a parasite-rescue and transformation assay of Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis and Leishmania (Mundinia) orientalis amastigotes against antileishmanial drugs. Acta Trop 2024; 249:107081. [PMID: 37993039 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an emerging infectious disease in Thailand, with Leishmania martiniquensis and Leishmania orientalis identified as the primary causative agents among immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Variations in drug susceptibility among different Leishmania species have been reported in different regions. Therefore, drug susceptibility assays are essential to assess the effectiveness of antileishmanial drugs used or potentially used in the affected areas. This study investigated the in vitro drug sensitivity of L. martiniquensis and L. orientalis, along with two reference species causing VL, namely L. donovani and L. infantum, against six antileishmanial drugs. Using a parasite-rescue and transformation assay, the results demonstrated that the IC50 values of amphotericin B (AmB), miltefosine (MIL), and sodium stibogluconate (Sb(III)) against all Leishmania species tested were within the sensitive range of each drug. On the contrary, the IC50 values of artemisinin (ART) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA), drugs primarily used for malaria treatment, were outside the sensitive range of the Leishmania species tested except L. infantum. This in vitro study highlights that AmB could effectively exhibit good sensitivity against the intracellular amastigotes of L. martiniquensis and L. orientalis. Also, MIL and Sb(III) could be considered alternative drugs for antileishmanial treatment in Thailand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirinan Kimcharoensuk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Saovanee Leelayoova
- Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Mathirut Mungthin
- Department of Parasitology, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | | | - Peerapan Tan-Ariya
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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9
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Ketema T, Tadele M, Gebrie Z, Makonnen E, Hailu A, Abay SM. In vitro Anti-Leishmanial Activities of Methanol Extract of Brucea antidysenterica J.F. Mill Seeds and Its Solvent Fractions. J Exp Pharmacol 2023; 15:123-135. [PMID: 36937078 PMCID: PMC10022440 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s397352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Leishmaniasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases, threatening lives of about 350 million people globally. Brucea antidysenterica seeds are used for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the traditional medicine in Ethiopia. Objective This study aimed to evaluate Brucea antidysenterica seeds' anti-leishmanial activity in vitro. Methods The crude (80% methanol) extract of Brucea antidysenterica seeds and its fractions were evaluated for their anti-leishmanial activities against promastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania donovani and Leishmania aethiopica, and for their cytotoxic effects against mammalian cells. The quantitative estimations of total phenolic compounds (TPCs), flavonoids (TFCs) and alkaloids (TACs) were determined, spectrophotometrically. Median inhibitory concentration (IC50) and median cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of the extract and its solvent fractions were calculated using GraphPad Prism 9.1.0 computer software. Data was presented as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Results The crude extract and its hexane, ethyl acetate and butanol fractions showed anti-leishmanial activities, with IC50 values of 4.14-60.12 µg/mL against promastigotes, and 6.16-40.12 µg/mL against amastigotes of both Leishmania species. They showed moderate cytotoxicity against Vero cell lines and peritoneal mice macrophages, with CC50 values of 100-500 µg/mL, but >1600 µg/mL against red blood cells. Selectivity indices ranged from 7.97 to 30.97. The crude extract, and its ethyl acetate and hexane fractions possessed 54.78-127.72 mg of gallic acid equivalent TPC, 18.30-79.21 mg of quercetin equivalent TFC, and 27.62-97.22 mg of atropine equivalent TAC per gram of extracts. Conclusion The seeds of the plant possessed anti-leishmanial activities against L. aethiopica and L. donovani that might provide a scientific justification for its use in the treatment of leishmaniasis by traditional healers. Future works are recommended to isolate, purify and identify the possible secondary metabolites attributed to the anti-leishmanial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tasisa Ketema
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Markos Tadele
- Animal Health Research Program, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Holetta, Ethiopia
| | - Zewdie Gebrie
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Eyasu Makonnen
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Asrat Hailu
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Solomon M Abay
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Zaman N, Azam SS. Quantum Dynamics and Bi Metal Force Field Parameterization Yielding Significant Antileishmanial Targets. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1371-1385. [PMID: 36730993 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Amid emerging drug resistance to metal inhibitors, high toxicity, and onerous drug delivery procedures, the computational design of alternate formulations encompassing functional metal-containing compounds greatly relies on large-scale atomistic simulations. Simulations particularly with Au(I), Ag, Bi(V), and Sb(V) pose a major challenge to elucidate their molecular mechanism due to the absence of force field parameters. This study thus quantum mechanically derives force field parameters of Bi(V) as an extension of the previous experimental study conducted on heteroleptic triorganobismuth(V) biscarboxylates of type [BiR3(O2CR')2]. We have modeled two organo-bismuth(V) carboxylates, which are optimized and parameterized along with the famous pentavalent antimonial drug: meglumine antimoniate using quantum mechanics original Seminarian methods with the SBKJC effective core potential (ECP) basis set. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of bismuth- and antimony-containing compounds in complex with two enzymes, trypanothione synthetase-amidase (TSA) and trypanothione reductase, are performed to target the (T(SH)2) pathway at multiple points. MD simulations provide novel insights into the binding mechanism of TSA and highlight the role of a single residue Arg569 in modulating the ligand dynamics. Moreover, the presence of an ortho group in a ligand is emphasized to facilitate interactions between Arg569 and the active site residue Arg313 for higher inhibitory activity of TSA. This preliminary generation of parameters specific to bismuth validated by simulations in replica will become a preamble of future computational and experimental research work to open avenues for newer and suitable drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naila Zaman
- Computational Biology Lab, National Center for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad45320, Pakistan
| | - Syed Sikander Azam
- Computational Biology Lab, National Center for Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad45320, Pakistan
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Gupta D, Singh PK, Yadav PK, Narender T, Patil UK, Jain SK, Chourasia MK. Emerging strategies and challenges of molecular therapeutics in antileishmanial drug development. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 115:109649. [PMID: 36603357 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Molecular therapy refers to targeted therapies based on molecules which have been intelligently directed towards specific biomolecular structures and include small molecule drugs, monoclonal antibodies, proteins and peptides, DNA or RNA-based strategies, targeted chemotherapy and nanomedicines. Molecular therapy is emerging as the most effective strategy to combat the present challenges of life-threatening visceral leishmaniasis, where the successful human vaccine is currently unavailable. Moreover, current chemotherapy-based strategies are associated with the issues of ineffective targeting, unavoidable toxicities, invasive therapies, prolonged treatment, high treatment costs and the development of drug-resistant strains. Thus, the rational approach to antileishmanial drug development primarily demands critical exploration and exploitation of biochemical differences between host and parasite biology, immunocharacteristics of parasite homing, and host-parasite interactions at the molecular/cellular level. Following this, the novel technology-based designing and development of host and/or parasite-targeted therapeutics having leishmanicidal and immunomodulatory activity is utmost essential to improve treatment efficacy. Thus, the present review is focused on immunological and molecular checkpoint targets in host-pathogen interaction, and molecular therapeutic prospects for Leishmania intervention, and the challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar 470003, M.P., India; Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, U.P., India
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, U.P., India; Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad 500037, Telangana, India
| | - Pavan K Yadav
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, U.P., India
| | - Tadigoppula Narender
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, U.P., India
| | - Umesh K Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar 470003, M.P., India
| | - Sanjay K Jain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Sagar 470003, M.P., India
| | - Manish K Chourasia
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, U.P., India.
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Ballesteros-Casallas A, Quiroga C, Ortiz C, Benítez D, Denis PA, Figueroa D, Salas CO, Bertrand J, Tapia RA, Sánchez P, Miscione GP, Comini MA, Paulino M. Mode of action of p-quinone derivatives with trypanocidal activity studied by experimental and in silico models. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:114926. [PMID: 36508970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Quinones are attractive pharmacological scaffolds for developing new agents for the treatment of different transmissible and non-transmissible human diseases due to their capacity to alter the cell redox homeostasis. The bioactivity and potential mode of action of 19 p-quinone derivatives fused to different aromatic rings (carbo or heterocycles) and harboring distinct substituents were investigated in infective Trypanosoma brucei brucei. All the compounds, except for a furanequinone (EC50=38 μM), proved to be similarly or even more potent (EC50 = 0.5-5.5 μM) than the clinical drug nifurtimox (EC50 = 5.3 μM). Three furanequinones and one thiazolequinone displayed a higher selectivity than nifurtimox. Two of these selective hits resulted potent inhibitors of T. cruzi proliferation (EC50=0.8-1.1 μM) but proved inactive against Leishmania infantum amastigotes. Most of the p-quinones induced a rapid and marked intracellular oxidation in T. b. brucei. DFT calculations on the oxidized quinone (Q), semiquinone (Q•-) and hydroquinone (QH2) suggest that all quinones have negative ΔG for the formation of Q•-. Qualitative and quantitative structure-activity relationship analyses in two or three dimensions of different electronic and biophysical descriptors of quinones and their corresponding bioactivities (killing potency and oxidative capacity) were performed. Charge distribution over the quinone ring carbons of Q and Q.- and the frontier orbitals energies of SUMO (Q.-) and LUMO (Q) correlate with their oxidative and trypanocidal activity. QSAR analysis also highlighted that both bromine substitution in the p-quinone ring and a bulky phenyl group attached to the furane and thiazole rings (which generates a negative charge due to the π electron system polarized by the nearby heteroatoms) are favorable for activity. By combining experimental and in silico procedures, this study disclosed important information about p-quinones that may help to rationally tune their electronic properties and biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Ballesteros-Casallas
- COBO, Computational Bio-Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Department, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1 18A-12, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia; Bioinformatics Center, DETEMA Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad de la República, General Flores 2124, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay
| | - Cristina Quiroga
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Cecilia Ortiz
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Diego Benítez
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Pablo A Denis
- Computational Nanotechnology, DETEMA Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad de la República, General Flores 2124, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay
| | - David Figueroa
- COBO, Computational Bio-Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Department, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1 18A-12, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia
| | - Cristian O Salas
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, 6094411, Chile
| | - Jeanluc Bertrand
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, 6094411, Chile
| | - Ricardo A Tapia
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, 6094411, Chile
| | - Patricio Sánchez
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química y de Farmacia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago, 6094411, Chile
| | - Gian Pietro Miscione
- COBO, Computational Bio-Organic Chemistry, Chemistry Department, Universidad de Los Andes, Carrera 1 18A-12, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia.
| | - Marcelo A Comini
- Laboratory Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay.
| | - Margot Paulino
- Bioinformatics Center, DETEMA Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad de la República, General Flores 2124, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay.
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Sreedharan V, Rao KB. Protease inhibitors as a potential agent against visceral Leishmaniasis: A review to inspire future study. Braz J Infect Dis 2023; 27:102739. [PMID: 36603827 PMCID: PMC9871078 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2022.102739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is transmitted by sandfly which carries the intracellular protozoa in their midgut. Among visceral, cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, visceral type that is caused by Leishmania donovani is the most lethal one. Findings of leishmanial structure and species took place in 19th century and was initiated by Donovan. Leishmaniasis is still a major concern of health issues in many endemic countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Mediterranean region. Worldwide1.5-2 million new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and 500,000 cases of visceral leishmaniasis are reported each year. Leishmaniasis is endemic in nearly 90 countries worldwide and close to 12 million new cases of leishmaniasis are reported worldwide annually. Studies on antileishmanial drug development is of major concern as leishmaniasis are the second largest parasitic killer in the world and the available drugs are either toxic or costly. The major surface GP63 protease, also known as Zinc- metalloproteases present on the surface of leishmanial promastigotes, can be targeted for drug development. Protease inhibitors targeting such surface proteases show promising results. Different protease inhibitors have been isolated from marine actinobacteria against many infectious diseases. Metabolites produced by these actinobacteria may have greater importance for the discovery and development of new antileishmanial drugs. Hence, this review discusses the background, current situation, treatment, and protease inhibitors from marine actinobacteria for drug development against GP63 molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - K.V. Bhaskara Rao
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of BioSciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632 014, India.
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Synthesis, Structure and Antileishmanial Evaluation of Endoperoxide–Pyrazole Hybrids. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27175401. [PMID: 36080174 PMCID: PMC9457810 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniases are among the most impacting neglected tropical diseases. In attempts to repurpose antimalarial drugs or candidates, it was found that selected 1,2,4-trioxanes, 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes, and pyrazole-containing chemotypes demonstrated activity against Leishmania parasites. This study reports the synthesis and structure of trioxolane–pyrazole (OZ1, OZ2) and tetraoxane–pyrazole (T1, T2) hybrids obtained from the reaction of 3(5)-aminopyrazole with endoperoxide-containing building blocks. Interestingly, only the endocyclic amine of 3(5)-aminopyrazole was found to act as nucleophile for amide coupling. However, the fate of the reaction was influenced by prototropic tautomerism of the pyrazole heterocycle, yielding 3- and 5-aminopyrazole containing hybrids which were characterized by different techniques, including X-ray crystallography. The compounds were evaluated for in vitro antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of L. tropica and L. infantum, and for cytotoxicity against THP-1 cells. Selected compounds were also evaluated against intramacrophage amastigote forms of L. infantum. Trioxolane–pyrazole hybrids OZ1 and OZ2 exhibited some activity against Leishmania promastigotes, while tetraoxane–pyrazole hybrids proved inactive, most likely due to solubility issues. Eight salt forms, specifically tosylate, mesylate, and hydrochloride salts, were then prepared to improve the solubility of the corresponding peroxide hybrids and were uniformly tested. Biological evaluations in promastigotes showed that the compound OZ1•HCl was the most active against both strains of Leishmania. Such finding was corroborated by the results obtained in assessments of the L. infantum amastigote susceptibility. It is noteworthy that the salt forms of the endoperoxide–pyrazole hybrids displayed a broader spectrum of action, showing activity in both strains of Leishmania. Our preliminary biological findings encourage further optimization of peroxide–pyrazole hybrids to identify a promising antileishmanial lead.
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A new immunochemotherapy schedule for visceral leishmaniasis in a hamster model. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:2849-2860. [PMID: 35997843 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07628-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment with a recombinant cysteine proteinase from Leishmania, rldccys1, associated with allopurinol or miltefosine on Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi-infected hamsters. Golden Syrian hamsters infected with L. (L.) infantum chagasi were treated with either miltefosine (46 mg/kg) or allopurinol (460 mg/kg) alone by oral route or associated with rldccys1 (150 µg/hamster) by subcutaneous route for 30 days. Infected hamsters were also treated with miltefosine (46 mg/kg) plus rldccys1 (150 µg/hamster) for 30 days (phase 1) followed by two additional doses of rldccys1 (250 µg/hamster) (phase 2). After the end of treatment, the animals were analyzed for parasite load, body weight, serum levels of immunoglobulins, cytokine expression, and drug toxicity. The data showed a significant decrease of parasite load in infected hamsters treated with allopurinol or miltefosine alone or associated with rldccys1, as well as in those treated with rldccys1 alone. Significantly lower levels of serum IgG were detected in hamsters treated with allopurinol plus rldccys1. The treatment with miltefosine associated with rldccys1 prevented relapse observed in animals treated with miltefosine alone. A significant loss of body weight was detected only in some hamsters treated with miltefosine for 1 month and deprived of this treatment for 15 days. There were no significant differences in transcript expression of IFN-γ and IL-10 in any of treated groups. Neither hepatotoxicity nor nephrotoxicity was observed among controls and treated groups. These findings open perspectives to further explore this immunochemotherapeutic schedule as an alternative for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis.
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Naylor-Leyland G, Collin SM, Gatluak F, den Boer M, Alves F, Mullahzada AW, Ritmeijer K. The increasing incidence of visceral leishmaniasis relapse in South Sudan: A retrospective analysis of field patient data from 2001-2018. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010696. [PMID: 35981057 PMCID: PMC9426874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is endemic in South Sudan, manifesting periodically in major outbreaks. Provision of treatment during endemic periods and as an emergency response is impeded by instability and conflict. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has provided health care in South Sudan since the late 1980's, including treatment for 67,000 VL patients. In recent years, MSF monitoring data have indicated increasing numbers of VL relapse cases. A retrospective analysis of these data was performed in order to provide insight into the possible causes of this increase. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Programme monitoring data from the MSF hospital in Lankien, Jonglei State, South Sudan, for the period 2001-2018 were analysed to detect trends in VL relapse as a proportion of all VL cases presenting to MSF treatment centres. Routinely collected patient-level data from relapse and primary VL cases treated at all MSF sites in South Sudan over the same period were analysed to describe patient characteristics and treatments received. VL relapse as a proportion of all VL cases increased by 6.5% per annum (95% CI 0.3% to 13.0%, p = 0.04), from 5.2% during 2001-2003 to 14.4% during 2016-2018. Primary VL and VL relapse patients had similar age, sex and anthropometric characteristics, the latter indicating high indices of undernutrition which were relatively constant over time. Clinical factors (Hb, spleen size, and VL severity score) also did not vary substantially over time. SSG/PM was the main treatment regimen from 2001-2018, used in 68.7% of primary and 70.9% of relapse VL cases; AmBisome was introduced in 2013, received by 22.5% of primary VL and 32.6% of VL relapse cases from 2013-2018. CONCLUSION Increasing incidence of VL relapse in South Sudan does not appear to be explained by changes in patient characteristics or other factors. Our data are concerning and may indicate an emergence of treatment-resistant parasite strains, decreasing the effectiveness of treatment regimens. This warrants further investigation as a causal factor. New chemical entities that will enable safe and highly effective short-course oral treatments for VL are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Simon M. Collin
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), London, United Kingdom
- Departamento de Medicina Social, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
| | | | | | - Fabiana Alves
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland
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Wijnant GJ, Dumetz F, Dirkx L, Bulté D, Cuypers B, Van Bocxlaer K, Hendrickx S. Tackling Drug Resistance and Other Causes of Treatment Failure in Leishmaniasis. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.837460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a tropical infectious disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania parasite. The disease is transmitted by female sand flies and, depending on the infecting parasite species, causes either cutaneous (stigmatizing skin lesions), mucocutaneous (destruction of mucous membranes of nose, mouth and throat) or visceral disease (a potentially fatal infection of liver, spleen and bone marrow). Although more than 1 million new cases occur annually, chemotherapeutic options are limited and their efficacy is jeopardized by increasing treatment failure rates and growing drug resistance. To delay the emergence of resistance to existing and new drugs, elucidating the currently unknown causes of variable drug efficacy (related to parasite susceptibility, host immunity and drug pharmacokinetics) and improved use of genotypic and phenotypic tools to define, measure and monitor resistance in the field are critical. This review highlights recent progress in our understanding of drug action and resistance in Leishmania, ongoing challenges (including setbacks related to the COVID-19 pandemic) and provides an overview of possible strategies to tackle this public health challenge.
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Carter NS, Kawasaki Y, Nahata SS, Elikaee S, Rajab S, Salam L, Alabdulal MY, Broessel KK, Foroghi F, Abbas A, Poormohamadian R, Roberts SC. Polyamine Metabolism in Leishmania Parasites: A Promising Therapeutic Target. Med Sci (Basel) 2022; 10:24. [PMID: 35645240 PMCID: PMC9149861 DOI: 10.3390/medsci10020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a variety of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans and domestic animals worldwide. The need for new therapeutic strategies is urgent because no vaccine is available, and treatment options are limited due to a lack of specificity and the emergence of drug resistance. Polyamines are metabolites that play a central role in rapidly proliferating cells, and recent studies have highlighted their critical nature in Leishmania. Numerous studies using a variety of inhibitors as well as gene deletion mutants have elucidated the pathway and routes of transport, revealing unique aspects of polyamine metabolism in Leishmania parasites. These studies have also shed light on the significance of polyamines for parasite proliferation, infectivity, and host-parasite interactions. This comprehensive review article focuses on the main polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, and spermidine synthase, and it emphasizes recent discoveries that advance these enzymes as potential therapeutic targets against Leishmania parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sigrid C. Roberts
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA; (N.S.C.); (Y.K.); (S.S.N.); (S.E.); (S.R.); (L.S.); (M.Y.A.); (K.K.B.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (R.P.)
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Benítez D, Medeiros A, Quiroga C, Comini MA. A Simple Bioluminescent Assay for the Screening of Cytotoxic Molecules Against the Intracellular Form of Leishmania infantum. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2524:127-147. [PMID: 35821468 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2453-1_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This chapter describes a viability assay for the intracellular (amastigote) and clinically relevant form of Leishmania infantum that is based on the detection of bioluminescence (BL) signal. The assay uses a reporter cell line of L. infantum that expresses constitutively a redshifted luciferase from Photinus pyralis and murine macrophages (cell line J774.A1) as host cells for infection. The host cell line was selected because it is a differentiated cell line, easy to manipulate in vitro, and advantageous for ethical reasons. This chapter introduces an assay designed for the screening of bioactive compounds/molecules employing a 96-well microplate and a 24 h treatment. The assay setup shows excellent balance between simplicity (cell culture manipulation/infection and timing) and quality parameters, as well as potential to detect drug-like molecules acting in a fast and cytotoxic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Benítez
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Andrea Medeiros
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cristina Quiroga
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marcelo A Comini
- Group Redox Biology of Trypanosomes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Hilaire V, Michel G, Majoor A, Hadji-Minaglou F, Landreau A, Fernandez X. New method for screening anti-Leishmania compounds in plants extracts by HPTLC-bioautography. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1188:123061. [PMID: 34894478 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.123061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania genus is responsible for leishmaniasis, a group of diseases affecting 12 million people in the tropical and subtropical zone. Currently, the few drugs that are available to treat this disease are expensive and cause many side effects. Searching for new therapeutics from plant species seems to be a promising path. This work proposes an original HPTLC test against parasites, in particular on Leishmania infantum, to screen new molecules from plant extracts. The technique uses protozoa transformed to express the luciferase gene to observe the bioautogram in bioluminescence. We have developed two different test protocols based on the two dimorphic stages of the parasite. The free promastigote stage, and an intracellular stage parasitizing macrophage cells called the amastigote stage. These two stages only survive under extremely different conditions which required the development of two very different test protocols. For the promastigote free stage of the protozoa, the direct bioautography technique was chosen while for the intracellular amastigote stage, bioautography by immersion (agar overlay) was required. Amphotericine B was chosen as the reference compound for this assay. The development of each of these two tests made it possible to clearly detect areas of activity on the bioautogram, allowing a rapid and inexpensive screening of the antiparasitic properties of molecules in natural extracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin Hilaire
- BotaniCert, 4 traverse Dupont, 06130 Grasse, France; Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France
| | - Gregory Michel
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, U1065, C3M, Nice, France
| | - Alissa Majoor
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, U1065, C3M, Nice, France
| | | | - Anne Landreau
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France; Univ Angers, Univ Brest, GEIHP, SFR ICAT, F-49000 Angers, France
| | - Xavier Fernandez
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Nice, France.
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21
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Rosa-Teijeiro C, Wagner V, Corbeil A, d'Annessa I, Leprohon P, do Monte-Neto RL, Fernandez-Prada C. Three different mutations in the DNA topoisomerase 1B in Leishmania infantum contribute to resistance to antitumor drug topotecan. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:438. [PMID: 34454601 PMCID: PMC8399852 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04947-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The evolution of drug resistance is one of the biggest challenges in leishmaniasis and has prompted the need for new antileishmanial drugs. Repurposing of approved drugs is a faster and very attractive strategy that is gaining supporters worldwide. Different anticancer topoisomerase 1B (TOP1B) inhibitors have shown strong antileishmanial activity and promising selective indices, supporting the potential repurposing of these drugs. However, cancer cells and Leishmania share the ability to become rapidly resistant. The aim of this study was to complete a whole-genome exploration of the effects caused by exposure to topotecan in order to highlight the potential mechanisms deployed by Leishmania to favor its survival in the presence of a TOP1B inhibitor. Methods We used a combination of stepwise drug resistance selection, whole-genome sequencing, functional validation, and theoretical approaches to explore the propensity of and potential mechanisms deployed by three independent clones of L. infantum to resist the action of TOP1B inhibitor topotecan. Results We demonstrated that L. infantum is capable of becoming resistant to high concentrations of topotecan without impaired growth ability. No gene deletions or amplifications were identified from the next-generation sequencing data in any of the three resistant lines, ruling out the overexpression of efflux pumps as the preferred mechanism of topotecan resistance. We identified three different mutations in the large subunit of the leishmanial TOP1B (Top1BF187Y, Top1BG191A, and Top1BW232R). Overexpression of these mutated alleles in the wild-type background led to high levels of resistance to topotecan. Computational molecular dynamics simulations, in both covalent and non-covalent complexes, showed that these mutations have an effect on the arrangement of the catalytic pentad and on the interaction of these residues with surrounding amino acids and DNA. This altered architecture of the binding pocket results in decreased persistence of topotecan in the ternary complex. Conclusions This work helps elucidate the previously unclear potential mechanisms of topotecan resistance in Leishmania by mutations in the large subunit of TOP1B and provides a valuable clue for the design of improved inhibitors to combat resistance in both leishmaniasis and cancer. Our data highlights the importance of including drug resistance evaluation in drug discovery cascades. Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04947-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé Rosa-Teijeiro
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.,The Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Victoria Wagner
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.,The Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Audrey Corbeil
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.,The Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Ilda d'Annessa
- Medtronic EMEA, Study and Scientific Solutions, Milan, Italy
| | - Philippe Leprohon
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | | | - Christopher Fernandez-Prada
- Département de Pathologie et Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada. .,The Research Group on Infectious Diseases in Production Animals (GREMIP), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada. .,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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22
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Hendrickx S, Van Bockstal L, Aslan H, Sadlova J, Maes L, Volf P, Caljon G. Transmission potential of paromomycin-resistant Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 75:951-957. [PMID: 31886863 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Former studies demonstrated quick selection of paromomycin resistance for Leishmania infantum and Leishmania donovani accompanied by increased fitness. The present study aimed to interpret these findings in an epidemiological context by comparing infection of WT and experimentally derived paromomycin-resistant strains in the sand fly vector. METHODS Depending on the Leishmania species, Lutzomyia longipalpis and Phlebotomus perniciosus or Phlebotomus argentipes sand flies were artificially infected with procyclic promastigotes of WT and paromomycin-resistant L. infantum (MHOM/FR/96/LEM3323-cl4) or L. donovani (MHOM/NP/03/BPK275/0-cl18). The infection rate and gut/stomodeal valve colonization were determined to monitor parasite phenotypic behaviour within the vector. The impact of the previously described gain of fitness in the vertebrate host on infectivity for the vector was assessed by feeding L. longipalpis on Syrian golden hamsters heavily infected with either WT or paromomycin-resistant parasites. RESULTS WT and paromomycin-resistant Leishmania of both species behaved similarly in terms of infection and parasite location within the studied sand fly species. Blood feeding on infected hamsters did not reveal differences in acquisition of WT and paromomycin-resistant parasites, despite the higher organ burdens observed for the paromomycin-resistant strain. Strains remained resistant after passage in the vector. CONCLUSIONS Although paromomycin-resistant parasites show an increased parasite fitness in vitro and in laboratory rodents, the intrinsic infection potential of paromomycin-resistant parasites remains unaltered in the sand fly. Of importance is the fact that paromomycin-resistant Leishmania are able to complete development in the natural vectors and produce stomodeal infection with metacyclic forms, which clearly suggests their potential to spread and circulate in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - L Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - H Aslan
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - J Sadlova
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - L Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - P Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - G Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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23
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Gupta Y, Goicoechea S, Pearce CM, Mathur R, Romero JG, Kwofie SK, Weyenberg MC, Daravath B, Sharma N, Poonam, Akala HM, Kanzok SM, Durvasula R, Rathi B, Kempaiah P. The emerging paradigm of calcium homeostasis as a new therapeutic target for protozoan parasites. Med Res Rev 2021; 42:56-82. [PMID: 33851452 DOI: 10.1002/med.21804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Calcium channels (CCs), a group of ubiquitously expressed membrane proteins, are involved in many pathophysiological processes of protozoan parasites. Our understanding of CCs in cell signaling, organelle function, cellular homeostasis, and cell cycle control has led to improved insights into their structure and functions. In this article, we discuss CCs characteristics of five major protozoan parasites Plasmodium, Leishmania, Toxoplasma, Trypanosoma, and Cryptosporidium. We provide a comprehensive review of current antiparasitic drugs and the potential of using CCs as new therapeutic targets. Interestingly, previous studies have demonstrated that human CC modulators can kill or sensitize parasites to antiparasitic drugs. Still, none of the parasite CCs, pumps, or transporters has been validated as drug targets. Information for this review draws from extensive data mining of genome sequences, chemical library screenings, and drug design studies. Parasitic resistance to currently approved therapeutics is a serious and emerging threat to both disease control and management efforts. In this article, we suggest that the disruption of calcium homeostasis may be an effective approach to develop new anti-parasite drug candidates and reduce parasite resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yash Gupta
- Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, USA
| | - Steven Goicoechea
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Catherine M Pearce
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Raman Mathur
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jesus G Romero
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Samuel K Kwofie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Matthew C Weyenberg
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bharathi Daravath
- Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Neha Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College University Enclave, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Poonam
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House University Enclave, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | | | - Stefan M Kanzok
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ravi Durvasula
- Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, USA
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College University Enclave, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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24
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Ortalli M, Varani S, Cimato G, Veronesi R, Quintavalla A, Lombardo M, Monari M, Trombini C. Evaluation of the Pharmacophoric Role of the O-O Bond in Synthetic Antileishmanial Compounds: Comparison between 1,2-Dioxanes and Tetrahydropyrans. J Med Chem 2020; 63:13140-13158. [PMID: 33091297 PMCID: PMC8018184 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniases are neglected diseases that can be treated with a limited drug arsenal; the development of new molecules is therefore a priority. Recent evidence indicates that endoperoxides, including artemisinin and its derivatives, possess antileishmanial activity. Here, 1,2-dioxanes were synthesized with their corresponding tetrahydropyrans lacking the peroxide bridge, to ascertain if this group is a key pharmacophoric requirement for the antileishmanial bioactivity. Newly synthesized compounds were examined in vitro, and their mechanism of action was preliminarily investigated. Three endoperoxides and their corresponding tetrahydropyrans effectively inhibited the growth of Leishmania donovani promastigotes and amastigotes, and iron did not play a significant role in their activation. Further, reactive oxygen species were produced in both endoperoxide- and tetrahydropyran-treated promastigotes. In conclusion, the peroxide group proved not to be crucial for the antileishmanial bioactivity of endoperoxides, under the tested conditions. Our findings reveal the potential of both 1,2-dioxanes and tetrahydropyrans as lead compounds for novel therapies against Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Ortalli
- Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference
Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi
University Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna,
Italy
| | - Stefania Varani
- Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference
Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi
University Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna,
Italy
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty
Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via
Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Cimato
- Unit of Clinical Microbiology, Regional Reference
Centre for Microbiological Emergencies (CRREM), St. Orsola-Malpighi
University Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna,
Italy
| | - Ruben Veronesi
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”,
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna Via Selmi 2,
40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Arianna Quintavalla
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”,
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna Via Selmi 2,
40126 Bologna, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria
(CIRM) - Italian Malaria Network (IMN), University of Milan,
20100 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Lombardo
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”,
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna Via Selmi 2,
40126 Bologna, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria
(CIRM) - Italian Malaria Network (IMN), University of Milan,
20100 Milan, Italy
| | - Magda Monari
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”,
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna Via Selmi 2,
40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Trombini
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”,
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna Via Selmi 2,
40126 Bologna, Italy
- Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sulla Malaria
(CIRM) - Italian Malaria Network (IMN), University of Milan,
20100 Milan, Italy
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25
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Zheng Z, Chen J, Ma G, Satoskar AR, Li J. Integrative genomic, proteomic and phenotypic studies of Leishmania donovani strains revealed genetic features associated with virulence and antimony-resistance. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:510. [PMID: 33046138 PMCID: PMC7552375 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04397-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Emerging drug resistance of Leishmania species poses threaten to the effective control and elimination programme of this neglected tropical disease. Methods In this work, we conducted drug-resistance testing, whole genome resequencing and proteome profiling for a recently reported clinical isolate with supposed drug resistance (HCZ), and two reference sensitive strains (DD8 and 9044) of Leishmania donovani, to explore molecular mechanisms underlying drug resistance in this parasite. Results With reference to DD8 and 9044 strains, HCZ isolate showed higher-level virulence and clear resistance to antimonials in promastigote culture, infected macrophages and animal experiment. Pairwise genomic comparisons revealed genetic variations (86 copy number variations, 271 frameshift mutations in protein-coding genes and two site mutations in non-coding genes) in HCZ isolate that were absent from the reference sensitive strains. Proteomic analysis indicated different protein expression between HCZ isolate and reference strains, including 69 exclusively detected proteins and 82 consistently down-/upregulated molecules in the HCZ isolate. Integrative analysis showed linkage of 12 genomic variations (gene duplication, insertion and deletion) and their protein expression changes in HCZ isolate, which might be associated with pathogenic and antimony-resistant phenotype. Functional annotation analyses further indicated that molecules involved in nucleotide-binding, fatty acid metabolism, oxidation-reduction and transport might play a role in host-parasite interaction and drug-resistance. Conclusions This comprehensive integrative work provided novel insights into the genetic basis underlying virulence and resistance, suggesting new aspects to be investigated for a better intervention against L. donovani and associated diseases.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwan Zheng
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianping Chen
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Animal Disease Prevention and Food Safety Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangxu Ma
- College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Melbourne Veterinary School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Abhay R Satoskar
- Department of Pathology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
| | - Jiao Li
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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26
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Thompson AM, O'Connor PD, Marshall AJ, Yardley V, Maes L, Gupta S, Launay D, Braillard S, Chatelain E, Wan B, Franzblau SG, Ma Z, Cooper CB, Denny WA. Heteroaryl ether analogues of an antileishmanial 7-substituted 2-nitroimidazooxazine lead afford attenuated hERG risk: In vitro and in vivo appraisal. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 209:112914. [PMID: 33268145 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous investigation of the potent antileishmanial properties of antitubercular 7-substituted 2-nitroimidazo[2,1-b][1,3]oxazines with biaryl side chains led to our development of a new clinical candidate for visceral leishmaniasis (DNDI-0690). Within a collaborative backup program, a racemic monoaryl lead (3) possessing comparable activity in mice but a greater hERG liability formed the starting point for our pursuit of efficacious second generation analogues having good solubility and safety. Asymmetric synthesis and appraisal of its enantiomers first established that chiral preferences for in vivo efficacy were species dependent and that neither form afforded a reduced hERG risk. However, in line with our findings in a structurally related series, less lipophilic heteroaryl ethers provided significant solubility enhancements (up to 16-fold) and concomitantly attenuated hERG inhibition. One promising pyridine derivative (49) displayed 100% oral bioavailability in mice and delivered a 96% parasite burden reduction when dosed at 50 mg/kg in a Leishmania donovani mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Thompson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Patrick D O'Connor
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrew J Marshall
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Vanessa Yardley
- Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Suman Gupta
- Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India
| | - Delphine Launay
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, 15 Chemin Louis Dunant, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Braillard
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, 15 Chemin Louis Dunant, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eric Chatelain
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, 15 Chemin Louis Dunant, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Baojie Wan
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Scott G Franzblau
- Institute for Tuberculosis Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Zhenkun Ma
- Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, 40 Wall Street, New York, 10005, USA
| | | | - William A Denny
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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27
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Mannose-Decorated Dendritic Polyglycerol Nanocarriers Drive Antiparasitic Drugs To Leishmania infantum-Infected Macrophages. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12100915. [PMID: 32987800 PMCID: PMC7598597 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12100915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are hosts for intracellular pathogens involved in numerous diseases including leishmaniasis. They express surface receptors that may be exploited for specific drug-targeting. Recently, we developed a PEGylated dendritic polyglycerol-based conjugate (PG–PEG) that colocalizes with intracellular parasite. We hereby study the effect of surface decoration with mannose units on the conjugates’ targeting ability toward leishmania intracellular parasites. Murine and human macrophages were exposed to fluorescently labeled mannosylated PG–PEG and uptake was quantified by flow cytometry analysis. Nanocarriers bearing five mannose units showed the highest uptake, which varied between 30 and 88% in the population in human and murine macrophages, respectively. The uptake was found to be dependent on phagocytosis and pinocytosis (80%), as well as clathrin-mediated endocytosis (79%). Confocal microscopy showed that mannosylated PG–PEGs target acidic compartments in macrophages. In addition, when both murine and human macrophages were infected and treated, colocalization between parasites and mannosylated nanoconjugates was observed. Leishmania-infected bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) showed avidity by mannosylated PG–PEG whereas non-infected macrophages rarely accumulated conjugates. Moreover, the antileishmanial activity of Amphotericin B was kept upon conjugation to mannosylated PG–PEG through a pH-labile linker. This study demonstrates that leishmania infected macrophages are selectively targeted by mannosylated PEGylated dendritic conjugates.
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28
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Alven S, Aderibigbe BA. Nanoparticles Formulations of Artemisinin and Derivatives as Potential Therapeutics for the Treatment of Cancer, Leishmaniasis and Malaria. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E748. [PMID: 32784933 PMCID: PMC7466127 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12080748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer, malaria, and leishmaniasis remain the deadly diseases around the world although several strategies of treatment have been developed. However, most of the drugs used to treat the aforementioned diseases suffer from several pharmacological limitations such as poor pharmacokinetics, toxicity, drug resistance, poor bioavailability and water solubility. Artemisinin and its derivatives are antimalarial drugs. However, they also exhibit anticancer and antileishmanial activity. They have been evaluated as potential anticancer and antileishmanial drugs but their use is also limited by their poor water solubility and poor bioavailability. To overcome the aforementioned limitations associated with artemisinin and its derivatives used for the treatment of these diseases, they have been incorporated into nanoparticles. Several researchers incorporated this class of drugs into nanoparticles resulting in enhanced therapeutic outcomes. Their potential efficacy for the treatment of parasitic infections such as malaria and leishmaniasis and chronic diseases such as cancer has been reported. This review article will be focused on the nanoparticles formulations of artemisinin and derivatives for the treatment of cancer, malaria, and leishmaniasis and the biological outcomes (in vitro and in vivo).
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29
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Van Bockstal L, Hendrickx S, Maes L, Caljon G. Sand Fly Studies Predict Transmission Potential of Drug-resistant Leishmania. Trends Parasitol 2020; 36:785-795. [PMID: 32713762 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania parasites have the capacity to rapidly adapt to changing environments in their digenetic life cycle which alternates between a vertebrate and an invertebrate host. Emergence of resistance following drug exposure can evoke phenotypic alterations that affect several aspects of parasite fitness in both hosts. Current studies of the impact of resistance are mostly limited to interactions with the mammalian host and characterization of in vitro parasite growth and differentiation. Development in the vector and transmission capacity have been largely ignored. This review reflects on the impact of drug resistance on its spreading potential with specific focus on the use of the sand fly infection model to evaluate parasite development in the vector and the ensuing transmission potential of drug-resistant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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Martínez-Flórez A, Martori C, Monteagudo PL, Rodriguez F, Alberola J, Rodríguez-Cortés A. Sirolimus enhances the protection achieved by a DNA vaccine against Leishmania infantum. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:294. [PMID: 32517744 PMCID: PMC7282043 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04165-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Leishmaniases are a group of neglected tropical parasitic diseases, mainly affecting vulnerable populations of countries with poor socioeconomic status. Development of efficient vaccines is a priority due to the increasing incidence of drug resistance and toxicity to current treatments. In the search for a safe and efficient protective vaccine for human and dog visceral leishmaniases, we analyzed the suitability of the immunomodulatory drug sirolimus (SIR) to boost a preventive DNA vaccine against leishmaniasis. SIR is an already marketed drug that has been described to boost immune protection against different disease models and has also emerged as a promising therapeutic drug against L. major. Methods Syrian hamsters were treated with SIR concomitantly with the administration of a DNA vaccine formulation consisting in four plasmids carrying the Leishmania genes LACK, TRYP, PAPLE22 and KMPII, respectively. Two weeks after the last vaccination, the animals were infected intraperitoneally with L. infantum parasites. Five weeks post-infection the parasite load was measured by real-time PCR in target tissues and immune response was evaluated by determining anti-Leishmania specific antibodies in combination with cytokine expression in the spleen. Results Our results show that the DNA vaccine itself efficiently reduced the burden of parasites in the skin (P = 0.0004) and lymph nodes (P = 0.0452). SIR administration also enhanced the protection by reducing the parasite load in the spleen (P = 0.0004). Vaccinated animals with or without SIR co-treatment showed lower IFN-γ expression levels than those found in the spleen of control animals. mRNA expression levels of NOS2 and IL-10 were found to be significantly higher in the vaccinated plus SIR treated group. Conclusions Co-administration of SIR enhances a DNA vaccination regimen against L. infantum, improving the reduction of parasite load in skin, lymph node and spleen. The analysis of immune markers in the spleen after challenge suggests that the trend to recover naïve levels of IFN-γ and IL-10, and the concurrent higher expression of NOS2, may be responsible for the protection induced by our vaccine co-administered with SIR.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Martínez-Flórez
- Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Martori
- Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula L Monteagudo
- Centre de Recerca En Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Fernando Rodriguez
- Centre de Recerca En Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Alberola
- Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alhelí Rodríguez-Cortés
- Departament de Farmacologia, de Terapèutica i de Toxicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.
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Álvarez-Bardón M, Pérez-Pertejo Y, Ordóñez C, Sepúlveda-Crespo D, Carballeira NM, Tekwani BL, Murugesan S, Martinez-Valladares M, García-Estrada C, Reguera RM, Balaña-Fouce R. Screening Marine Natural Products for New Drug Leads against Trypanosomatids and Malaria. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E187. [PMID: 32244488 PMCID: PMC7230869 DOI: 10.3390/md18040187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) represent a serious threat to humans, especially for those living in poor or developing countries. Almost one-sixth of the world population is at risk of suffering from these diseases and many thousands die because of NTDs, to which we should add the sanitary, labor and social issues that hinder the economic development of these countries. Protozoan-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths every year. Visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease or sleeping sickness are among the most lethal NTDs. Despite not being considered an NTD by the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria must be added to this sinister group. Malaria, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum, is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. The treatment of this disease has been losing effectiveness year after year. Many of the medicines currently in use are obsolete due to their gradual loss of efficacy, their intrinsic toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance or a lack of adherence to treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent and global need for new drugs. Despite this, the scant interest shown by most of the stakeholders involved in the pharmaceutical industry makes our present therapeutic arsenal scarce, and until recently, the search for new drugs has not been seriously addressed. The sources of new drugs for these and other pathologies include natural products, synthetic molecules or repurposing drugs. The most frequent sources of natural products are microorganisms, e.g., bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae and plants, which are able to synthesize many drugs that are currently in use (e.g. antimicrobials, antitumor, immunosuppressants, etc.). The marine environment is another well-established source of bioactive natural products, with recent applications against parasites, bacteria and other pathogens which affect humans and animals. Drug discovery techniques have rapidly advanced since the beginning of the millennium. The combination of novel techniques that include the genetic modification of pathogens, bioimaging and robotics has given rise to the standardization of High-Performance Screening platforms in the discovery of drugs. These advancements have accelerated the discovery of new chemical entities with antiparasitic effects. This review presents critical updates regarding the use of High-Throughput Screening (HTS) in the discovery of drugs for NTDs transmitted by protozoa, including malaria, and its application in the discovery of new drugs of marine origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Álvarez-Bardón
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Yolanda Pérez-Pertejo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - César Ordóñez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Daniel Sepúlveda-Crespo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Nestor M. Carballeira
- Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras 00925-2537, San Juan, Puerto Rico;
| | - Babu L. Tekwani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Drug Discovery, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA;
| | - Sankaranarayanan Murugesan
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar, Pilani 333031, India;
| | - Maria Martinez-Valladares
- Department of Animal Health, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Grulleros, 24346 León, Spain;
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- INBIOTEC (Instituto de Biotecnología de León), Avda. Real 1-Parque Científico de León, 24006 León, Spain;
| | - Rosa M. Reguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
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Hendrickx S, Van Bockstal L, Bulté D, Mondelaers A, Aslan H, Rivas L, Maes L, Caljon G. Phenotypic adaptations of Leishmania donovani to recurrent miltefosine exposure and impact on sand fly infection. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:96. [PMID: 32087758 PMCID: PMC7036194 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3972-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since the introduction of miltefosine (MIL) as first-line therapy in the kala-azar elimination programme in the Indian subcontinent, treatment failure rates have been increasing. Since parasite infectivity and virulence may become altered upon treatment relapse, this laboratory study assessed the phenotypic effects of repeated in vitro and in vivo MIL exposure. Methods Syngeneic Leishmania donovani lines either or not exposed to MIL were compared for drug susceptibility, rate of promastigote multiplication and metacyclogenesis, macrophage infectivity and behaviour in the sand fly vector, Lutzomyia longipalpis. Results Promastigotes of both in vitro and in vivo MIL-selected strains displayed a slightly reduced drug susceptibility that was associated with a reduced MIL-accumulation linked to a lower copy number (disomic state) of chromosome 13 harboring the miltefosine transporter (LdMT) gene. In vitro selected promastigotes showed a lower rate of metacyclogenesis whereas the in vivo derived promastigotes displayed a moderately increased growth rate. Repeated MIL exposure did neither influence the parasite load nor metacyclogenesis in the sand fly vector. Conclusions Recurrent in vitro and in vivo MIL exposure evokes a number of very subtle phenotypic and genotypic changes which could make promastigotes less susceptible to MIL without attaining full resistance. These changes did not significantly impact on infection in the sand fly vector.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Bulté
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annelies Mondelaers
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hamide Aslan
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Luis Rivas
- Centro de investigaciones Biológicas - CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Kwofie SK, Broni E, Dankwa B, Enninful KS, Kwarko GB, Darko L, Durvasula R, Kempaiah P, Rathi B, Miller Iii WA, Yaya A, Wilson MD. Outwitting an Old Neglected Nemesis: A Review on Leveraging Integrated Data-Driven Approaches to Aid in Unraveling of Leishmanicides of Therapeutic Potential. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:349-366. [PMID: 31994465 DOI: 10.2174/1568026620666200128160454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The global prevalence of leishmaniasis has increased with skyrocketed mortality in the past decade. The causative agent of leishmaniasis is Leishmania species, which infects populations in almost all the continents. Prevailing treatment regimens are consistently inefficient with reported side effects, toxicity and drug resistance. This review complements existing ones by discussing the current state of treatment options, therapeutic bottlenecks including chemoresistance and toxicity, as well as drug targets. It further highlights innovative applications of nanotherapeutics-based formulations, inhibitory potential of leishmanicides, anti-microbial peptides and organometallic compounds on leishmanial species. Moreover, it provides essential insights into recent machine learning-based models that have been used to predict novel leishmanicides and also discusses other new models that could be adopted to develop fast, efficient, robust and novel algorithms to aid in unraveling the next generation of anti-leishmanial drugs. A plethora of enriched functional genomic, proteomic, structural biology, high throughput bioassay and drug-related datasets are currently warehoused in both general and leishmania-specific databases. The warehoused datasets are essential inputs for training and testing algorithms to augment the prediction of biotherapeutic entities. In addition, we demonstrate how pharmacoinformatics techniques including ligand-, structure- and pharmacophore-based virtual screening approaches have been utilized to screen ligand libraries against both modeled and experimentally solved 3D structures of essential drug targets. In the era of data-driven decision-making, we believe that highlighting intricately linked topical issues relevant to leishmanial drug discovery offers a one-stop-shop opportunity to decipher critical literature with the potential to unlock implicit breakthroughs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel K Kwofie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana.,West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.,Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Emmanuel Broni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bismark Dankwa
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kweku S Enninful
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Gabriel B Kwarko
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Louis Darko
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, PMB LG 77, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ravi Durvasula
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Prakasha Kempaiah
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, United States
| | - Brijesh Rathi
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College University Enclave, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India
| | - Whelton A Miller Iii
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Physics, & Engineering, Lincoln University, Lincoln University, PA 19352, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - Abu Yaya
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Basic & Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, United States.,Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences (CHS), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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Abstract
In vitro growth (inhibition) assays have a dual application, either supporting the discovery of novel drugs or as a monitoring tool of drug resistance in patient isolates. From an experimental design point of view, both are quite different with regard to the infecting Leishmania species and strain, the wide variety of permissive host cells (primary cells versus cell lines), drug exposure times, detection methods and endpoint criteria. Recognizing the need for enhanced assay standardization to decrease interlaboratory variation and improve proper interpretation of results, a detailed description is given of the basic fundamental procedures and requirements for routine in vitro growth of Leishmania spp. with specific focus on the intracellular amastigote susceptibility assay. Although the described experimental procedures focus on visceral Leishmania species, the same assay principles may apply for the cutaneous species as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium.
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Cunha LF, Costa CM, Barroso PR, Kato KC, Oliveira FD, Mendonça Filho CV, Grael CFF, Gregório LE, Campos FF, Oliveira PMD, Oliveira DBD, Ruela FA, Martins HR. Phytochemical screening and biological assays of ethanolic leaf extract of Senna rugosa. RODRIGUÉSIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1590/2175-7860202071051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Abstract Senna rugosa (Fabaceae) is a common specie of the Brazilian territory, especially in the Cerrado biome. It is widely used in the popular medicine although not yet adequately investigated as to its phytoconstituents and pharmacological activities. In this study, the preliminary phytochemical analysis of ethanolic leaf extract of S. rugosa was performed and its cytotoxicity, antitumoral and antimicrobial activities (antibacterial, antifungal, anti-Trypanosoma and anti-Leishmania) were evaluated. The crude extract was analyzed in HPLC-DAD and fractions were also characterized using GC-MS and ESI-MS techniques. Results indicate phenolic compounds majority presence, including flavonol, anthraquinone and anthrones derivatives. Relative antimicrobial activities were detected against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida famata, Candida krusei and Candida tropicalis. As well as, a weak anti-trypanosomatids activity against M2269 strain and BH46 strain of Leishmania sp. A relative antitumoral activity was also identified but in counterpoint were also observed a toxicity in fibroblast cells (L929). Phytochemically, results provide evidence that phenolic compounds in S. rugosa leaves might be the responsible for its antimicrobial activity and cell toxicity inferred in our research.
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Jones CM, Welburn SC, Jones JD. Treatment failure of pentavalent antimonial therapy for human visceral leishmaniasis: a meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.29392/joghr.3.e2019048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Jones CM, Welburn SC, Jones JD. Treatment failure of pentavalent antimonial therapy for human visceral leishmaniasis: a meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.29392/joghr.3.e201948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Hendrickx S, Van Bockstal L, Caljon G, Maes L. In-depth comparison of cell-based methodological approaches to determine drug susceptibility of visceral Leishmania isolates. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007885. [PMID: 31790397 PMCID: PMC6907865 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Monitoring the drug susceptibility of Leishmania isolates still largely relies on standard in vitro cell-based susceptibility assays using (patient-isolated) promastigotes for infection. Although this assay is widely used, no fully standardized/harmonized protocol is yet available hence resulting in the application of a wide variety of host cells (primary cells and cell lines), different drug exposure times, detection methods and endpoint criteria. Advocacy for standardization to decrease inter-laboratory variation and improve interpretation of results has already repeatedly been made, unfortunately still with unsatisfactory progress. As a logical next step, it would be useful to reach at least some agreement on the type of host cell and basic experimental design for routine amastigote susceptibility determination. The present laboratory study using different L. infantum strains as a model for visceral leishmaniasis species compared primary cells (mouse peritoneal exudate (PEC), mouse bone marrow derived macrophages and human peripheral blood monocyte derived macrophages) and commercially available cell lines (THP-1, J774, RAW) for either their susceptibility to infection, their role in supporting intracellular amastigote multiplication and overall feasibility/accessibility of experimental assay protocol. The major findings were that primary cells are better than cell lines in supporting infection and intracellular parasite multiplication, with PECs to be preferred for technical reasons. Cell lines require drug exposure of >96h with THP-1 to be preferred but subject to a variable response to PMA stimulation. The fast dividing J774 and RAW cells out-compete parasite-infected cells precluding proper assay read-out. Some findings could possibly also be applicable to cutaneous Leishmania strains, but this still needs cross-checking. Besides inherent limitations in a clinical setting, susceptibility testing of clinical isolates may remain problematic because of the reliance on patient-derived promastigotes which may exhibit variable degrees of metacyclogenesis and infectivity. Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites belonging to the genus of Leishmania and transmitted by the bite of infected female sand flies. Concerns about the effective control of the disease are rising in view of the increasing number of treatment failures that may be related to drug resistance. Monitoring of drug susceptibility in the field should become an essential asset, however, there is still insufficient harmonization in the laboratory assays. This study focused on the standard intracellular amastigote susceptibility assay and compared protocol variables, such as type of macrophage host cell (primary versus cell lines), multiplicity of infection and duration of drug exposure. Primary cells perform best with little difference between cells derived from Swiss mice or BALB/c mice. From a practical point of view, mouse peritoneal exudate cells can be recommended. If mice would not be available, THP-1 cells are the best alternative. For field strains, metacyclic promastigotes should be used at a multiplicity of infection of 10–15 parasites per cell with drug exposure starting at 24h post-infection and continued for 120h. Unfortunately, susceptibility testing of clinical isolates will remain problematic because of the reliance on promastigotes which may exhibit variable degrees of metacyclogenesis and infectivity. Opting for cell-based assays may be complicated by the fact that dedicated laboratory infrastructure may sometimes be lacking in disease-endemic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hendrickx
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lieselotte Van Bockstal
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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A novel nanoliposomal formulation of the FDA approved drug Halofantrine causes cell death of Leishmania donovani promastigotes in vitro. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.123852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Borsari C, Jiménez-Antón MD, Eick J, Bifeld E, Torrado JJ, Olías-Molero AI, Corral MJ, Santarem N, Baptista C, Severi L, Gul S, Wolf M, Kuzikov M, Ellinger B, Reinshagen J, Witt G, Linciano P, Tait A, Costantino L, Luciani R, Tejera Nevado P, Zander-Dinse D, Franco CH, Ferrari S, Moraes CB, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Ponterini G, Clos J, Alunda JM, Costi MP. Discovery of a benzothiophene-flavonol halting miltefosine and antimonial drug resistance in Leishmania parasites through the application of medicinal chemistry, screening and genomics. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 183:111676. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Need for sustainable approaches in antileishmanial drug discovery. Parasitol Res 2019; 118:2743-2752. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06443-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Chemogenomic Profiling of Antileishmanial Efficacy and Resistance in the Related Kinetoplastid Parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2019; 63:AAC.00795-19. [PMID: 31160283 PMCID: PMC6658743 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00795-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The arsenal of drugs used to treat leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania spp., is limited and beset by toxicity and emergent resistance. Furthermore, our understanding of drug mode of action and potential routes to resistance is limited. Forward genetic approaches have revolutionized our understanding of drug mode of action in the related kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei. The arsenal of drugs used to treat leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania spp., is limited and beset by toxicity and emergent resistance. Furthermore, our understanding of drug mode of action and potential routes to resistance is limited. Forward genetic approaches have revolutionized our understanding of drug mode of action in the related kinetoplastid parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Therefore, we screened our genome-scale T. brucei RNA interference (RNAi) library against the current antileishmanial drugs sodium stibogluconate (antimonial), paromomycin, miltefosine, and amphotericin B. Identification of T. brucei orthologues of the known Leishmania antimonial and miltefosine plasma membrane transporters effectively validated our approach, while a cohort of 42 novel drug efficacy determinants provides new insights and serves as a resource. Follow-up analyses revealed the antimonial selectivity of the aquaglyceroporin TbAQP3. A lysosomal major facilitator superfamily transporter contributes to paromomycin-aminoglycoside efficacy. The vesicle-associated membrane protein TbVAMP7B and a flippase contribute to amphotericin B and miltefosine action and are potential cross-resistance determinants. Finally, multiple phospholipid-transporting flippases, including the T. brucei orthologue of the Leishmania miltefosine transporter, a putative β-subunit/CDC50 cofactor, and additional membrane-associated hits, affect amphotericin B efficacy, providing new insights into mechanisms of drug uptake and action. The findings from this orthology-based chemogenomic profiling approach substantially advance our understanding of antileishmanial drug action and potential resistance mechanisms and should facilitate the development of improved therapies as well as surveillance for drug-resistant parasites.
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Revisiting tubercidin against kinetoplastid parasites: Aromatic substitutions at position 7 improve activity and reduce toxicity. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 164:689-705. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.12.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Khatoon N, Pandey RK, Ojha R, Aathmanathan VS, Krishnan M, Prajapati VK. Exploratory algorithm to devise multi-epitope subunit vaccine by investigating Leishmania donovani membrane proteins. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2018; 37:2381-2393. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2018.1484815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nazia Khatoon
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Rajan Kumar Pandey
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Rupal Ojha
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | | | - Muthukalingan Krishnan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, IndiaCommunicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
| | - Vijay Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
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45
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Van den Kerkhof M, Van Bockstal L, Gielis JF, Delputte P, Cos P, Maes L, Caljon G, Hendrickx S. Impact of primary mouse macrophage cell types on Leishmania infection and in vitro drug susceptibility. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3601-3612. [PMID: 30141075 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6059-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Primary mouse macrophages are frequently used to provide an in vitro intracellular model to evaluate antileishmanial drug efficacy. The present study compared the phenotypic characteristics of Swiss, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages and peritoneal exudate cells using different stimulation and adherence protocols upon infection with a Leishmania infantum laboratory strain and two clinical isolates. Evaluation parameters were susceptibility to infection, permissiveness to amastigote multiplication, and impact on drug efficacy. Observed variations in infection of peritoneal exudate cells can mostly be linked to changes in the inflammatory cytokine profiles (IL-6, TNF-α, KC/GRO) rather than to differences in initial production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species. Optimization of the cell stimulation and adherence conditions resulted in comparable infection indices among peritoneal exudate cells and the various types of bone marrow-derived macrophages. BALB/c-derived bone marrow-derived macrophages were slightly more permissive to intracellular amastigote replication. Evaluation of antileishmanial drug potency in the various cell systems revealed minimal variation for antimonials and paromomycin, and no differences for miltefosine and amphotericin B. The study results allow to conclude that drug evaluation can be performed in all tested primary macrophages as only marginal differences are observed in terms of susceptibility to infection and impact of drug exposure. Combined with some practical considerations, the use of 24-h starch-stimulated, 48-h adhered, Swiss-derived peritoneal exudate cells can be advocated as an efficient, reliable, relatively quick, and cost-effective tool for routine drug susceptibility testing in vitro whenever the use of primary cells is feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Van den Kerkhof
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - L Van Bockstal
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - J F Gielis
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Antwerp Surgical Training, Anatomy & Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - P Delputte
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - P Cos
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - L Maes
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Guy Caljon
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Sarah Hendrickx
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences, Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.
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Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a deadly parasitic disease, is a major public health concern globally. Countries affected by VL have signed the London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases and committed to eliminate VL as a public health problem by 2020. To achieve and sustain VL elimination, it will become progressively important not to miss any remaining cases in the community who can maintain transmission. This requires accurate identification of symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers using highly sensitive diagnostic tools at the primary health service setting. The rK39 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is the most widely used tool and with its good sensitivity and specificity is the first choice for decentralized diagnosis of VL in endemic areas. However, this test cannot discriminate between current, subclinical, or past infections and is useless for diagnosis of relapses and as a prognostic (cure) test. Importantly, as the goal of elimination of VL as a public health problem is approaching, the number of people susceptible to infection will increase. Therefore, correct diagnosis using a highly sensitive diagnostic test is crucial for applying appropriate treatment and management of cases. Recent advances in molecular techniques have improved Leishmania detection and quantification, and therefore this technology has become increasingly relevant due to its possible application in a variety of clinical sample types. Most importantly, given current problems in identifying asymptomatic individuals because of poor correlation between the main methods of detection, molecular tests are valuable for VL elimination programs, especially to monitor changes in burden of infection in specific communities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the available VL diagnostics and discusses the usefulness of molecular methods in the diagnosis, quantification, and species differentiation as well as their clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam Sundar
- Infectious Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221 005, India
| | - Om Prakash Singh
- Infectious Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 221 005, India.
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47
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KARUNAWEERA NADIRAD, FERREIRA MARCELOU. Leishmaniasis: current challenges and prospects for elimination with special focus on the South Asian region. Parasitology 2018; 145:425-429. [PMID: 29642962 PMCID: PMC5984138 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182018000471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania donovani, the most virulent species of Leishmania, is found in the South Asian region that harbours the majority of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases in the world. The traditionally accepted relationships between the causative species of Leishmania and the resultant disease phenotype have been challenged during recent years and have underscored the importance of revisiting the previously established taxonomy with revisions to its classification. The weak voice of the afflicted with decades of neglect by scientists and policy makers have led to the miserably inadequate and slow advancements in product development in the fields of diagnostics, chemotherapeutics and vector control that continue to hinder the effective management and control of this infection. Limitations notwithstanding, the regional drive for the elimination of VL initiated over a decade ago that focused on India, Nepal and Bangladesh, the three main afflicted countries in the Indian subcontinent is therefore, commendable, with the subsequent status reviews and restructuring of strategies possibly even more so. However, the renewed efforts would need to be combined with plans to combat new challenges in the South-Asian region that includes the emergence of atypical parasite variants, in order to realistically achieve the set goal of regional elimination of VL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - MARCELO U FERREIRA
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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48
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Norcliffe JL, Mina JG, Alvarez E, Cantizani J, de Dios-Anton F, Colmenarejo G, Valle SGD, Marco M, Fiandor JM, Martin JJ, Steel PG, Denny PW. Identifying inhibitors of the Leishmania inositol phosphorylceramide synthase with antiprotozoal activity using a yeast-based assay and ultra-high throughput screening platform. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3938. [PMID: 29500420 PMCID: PMC5834442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22063-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease caused by the insect-vector borne protozoan parasite, Leishmania species. Infection affects millions of the world’s poorest, however vaccines are absent and drug therapy limited. Recently, public-private partnerships have developed to identify new modes of controlling leishmaniasis. Drug discovery is a significant part of these efforts and here we describe the development and utilization of a novel assay to identify antiprotozoal inhibitors of the Leishmania enzyme, inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthase. IPC synthase is a membrane-bound protein with multiple transmembrane domains, meaning that a conventional in vitro assay using purified protein in solution is highly challenging. Therefore, we utilized Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a vehicle to facilitate ultra-high throughput screening of 1.8 million compounds. Antileishmanial benzazepanes were identified and shown to inhibit the enzyme at nanomolar concentrations. Further chemistry produced a benzazepane that demonstrated potent and specific inhibition of IPC synthase in the Leishmania cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Norcliffe
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.,Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - John G Mina
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.,Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Emilio Alvarez
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Cantizani
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco de Dios-Anton
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Colmenarejo
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain.,Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit, IMDEA Food Institute, CEI UAM and CSIC, Carretera de Cantoblanco 8, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silva Gonzalez-Del Valle
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Marco
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Fiandor
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio J Martin
- GlaxoSmithKline Investigacion y Desarrollo, Parque Tecnologico de Madrid, 28760, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrick G Steel
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Paul W Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK.
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Bush JT, Wasunna M, Alves F, Alvar J, Olliaro PL, Otieno M, Sibley CH, Strub Wourgaft N, Guerin PJ. Systematic review of clinical trials assessing the therapeutic efficacy of visceral leishmaniasis treatments: A first step to assess the feasibility of establishing an individual patient data sharing platform. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005781. [PMID: 28873394 PMCID: PMC5600407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There are an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) annually. A variety of factors are taken into account when considering the best therapeutic options to cure a patient and reduce the risk of resistance, including geographical area, malnourishment and HIV coinfection. Pooled analyses combine data from many studies to answer specific scientific questions that cannot be answered with individual studies alone. However, the heterogeneity of study design, data collection, and analysis often makes direct comparison difficult. Individual Participant Data (IPD) files can be standardised and analysed, allowing detailed analysis of this merged larger pool, but only a small fraction of systematic reviews and meta-analyses currently employ pooled analysis of IPD. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify published studies and studies reported in clinical trial registries to assess the feasibility of developing a VL data sharing platform to facilitate an IPD-based analysis of clinical trial data. Studies conducted between 1983 to 2015 that reported treatment outcome were eligible. Principal findings From the 2,271 documents screened, 145 published VL clinical trials were identified, with data from 26,986 patients. Methodologies varied for diagnosis and treatment outcomes, but overall the volume of data potentially available on different drugs and dose regimens identified hundreds or possibly thousands of patients per arm suitable for IPD pooled meta-analyses. Conclusions A VL data sharing platform would provide an opportunity to maximise scientific use of available data to enable assessment of treatment efficacy, contribute to evidence-based clinical management and guide optimal prospective data collection. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a vector borne infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites transmitted by sand flies. The disease affects both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, predominantly occurring in remote regions in specific areas of Africa, Asia and South America. There are an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 cases each year, resulting in 20,000 to 40,000 deaths. Few therapeutic options are available, and these are typically expensive, not adapted for field use and cause life-threatening side effects. Treatment of the disease is further complicated by apparent variation in drug efficacy in patients from different regions. A comprehensive understanding of treatment outcomes is essential to ensure more effective treatment and control of VL. This systematic review was undertaken to determine whether sufficient relevant data are available to warrant creation of a data sharing platform for harmonisation and comparison of VL clinical trials. We identified 145 published VL clinical trials, which together have enrolled 26,986 patients. There was sufficient consistency in the trial methods to support pooling of these individual patient data. The findings of this review suggest that a VL data sharing platform would enable meaningful meta-analysis of VL treatment trials, which could inform treatment allocation, further drug development, and guide improved disease control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob T. Bush
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO), Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fabiana Alves
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jorge Alvar
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Piero L. Olliaro
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Special Programme on Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Michael Otieno
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO), Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Carol Hopkins Sibley
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO), Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | | | - Philippe J. Guerin
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Infectious Diseases Data Observatory (IDDO), Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (PG); (NS)
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