Activity of a novel sulfonamide compound 2-nitro-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)benzenesulfonamide against Leishmania donovani

Discovery of novel drugs for Chagas disease: is carbonic anhydrase a target for antiprotozoal drugs?

INTRODUCTION

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) arose significant interest as a potential new target for Chagas disease since its discovery in Trypanosoma cruzi in 2013. Benznidazole and Nifurtimox have been used for Chagas disease treatment for 60 years despite all efforts done for obtaining more efficient treatments, acting in the acute and chronic phases of illness, with fewer side effects and resistance induction.

AREAS COVERED

We discuss the positive and negative aspects of T. cruzi CA (TcCA) studies as a target for developing new drugs. The current research discoveries and the classes of TcCA inhibitors are reviewed. The sulfonamides and their derivatives are the main inhibitor classes, but hydroxamates and the thiols, were investigated too. These compounds inhibited the growth of the evolutive forms of the parasite. A comparative analysis was done with CAs from other Trypanosomatids and protozoans.

EXPERT OPINION

The search for new targets and drugs is a significant challenge worldwide, and TcCA is a potential candidate for developing new drugs. Several studied inhibitors were active against Trypanosoma cruzi, but their penetration and toxicity problems emerged. New approaches are in progress to obtain inhibitors with desired properties, allowing further steps such as tests using an adequate animal model and subsequent developments for the preclinical testing.

Noninvasive Sweat-Based Diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis and Post Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis

The diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is one of the foremost barriers in the control of this disease, as demonstration of the parasite by splenic/bone marrow aspiration is relatively difficult and requires expertise and laboratory support. The aim of the present study was to find a noninvasive diagnostic approach using the existing recombinant kinesine-39 (rK-39) immunochromatographic nitrocellulose strips test (ICT) with a human sweat specimen for the diagnosis of VL. The investigation was carried out on specimens (blood, sweat, and urine) collected from 58 confirmed VL, 50 confirmed post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL), 36 healthy control, and 35 patients from other diseases. The data obtained from this study reveal that 96.6% clinically confirmed active VL participants were found to be positive when tested against a sweat specimen. Interestingly, the scenario was similar when tested against a blood specimen (96.6% positive by rK-39). Moreover, a test of both sweats and blood specimens from 50 PKDL participants resulted in 100% positivity, whereas no healthy control participants were found to be rK-39 positive. The sensitivity of the rK-39 ICT in sweat specimen was 94.7%, whereas the specificity was 100% in healthy controls from endemic, nonendemic, and other infectious diseases, respectively. No difference was observed in sweat specimen of VL and PKDL cases which signifies its reliability. However, further evaluation of this method on a larger scale could enhance the reliability of the proposed model so that it could be used efficiently in VL management and eradication.