PRODUCTION OF NANOFORMULATIONS FOR TOPICAL USE IN THE TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTALLY CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS CAUSED BYLeishmania (L.) amazonensis

• Grant number: 24/22230-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Felipe Domingues Passero
• Grantee: Gabriela Venicia Araujo Flores
• Supervisor: Dolores Remedios Serrano Lopez
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB-CLP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental do Litoral Paulista. São Vicente , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/15834-3 - REPOSITIONING OF DRUGS FOR THE TREATMENT OF EXPERIMENTAL NON-ULCERATED CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS CAUSED BY Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi, BP.PD

Abstract

Cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (L.) amazonensis is of particular importance because of the clinical forms it causes in the Americas. This parasite species is mainly associated with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, and diffuse anergic leishmaniasis. Conventional treatment involves the use of pentavalent antimonials such as meglumine antimoniate, but these drugs induce a number of local and systemic side effects. To overcome this limitation, research in recent years has focused on controlled and targeted drug release strategies, especially nanoformulations, which improve therapeutic efficacy and minimize side effects. Among these approaches, lipid nanoformulations such as transferosomes and self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) have gained prominence in the treatment of leishmaniasis. Transferosomes are flexible lipid vesicles that facilitate drug penetration into the skin, making them ideal for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis. SNEDDS are systems that enhance drug solubility and absorption, improving the bioavailability of anti-Leishmania drugs. These nanoformulations offer more effective and targeted drug delivery, reducing the need for invasive treatments and side effects, which can accelerate the healing of skin lesions. Therefore, the aim of this research project is to prepare nanoformulations for topical application containing drugs used in clinical medicine, such as amphotericin B and imiquimod, to evaluate their efficacy in the treatment of ulcerated cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania amazonensis. These nanoformulations will be prepared under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Dolores Serrano of the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, who has extensive experience in the formulation and bioavailability of new drugs. Once the nanoformulations have been produced in Spain, the most active in vitro formulation will be analyzed in vivo. In addition, toxicity studies will be conducted with the most active formulation. All these studies will be further evaluated at the Paulista State University, São Vicente, São Paulo. Thus, considering the toxicity of the current drugs available for the treatment of leishmaniasis, the development of new therapeutic regimens with transcutaneous or topical treatment, based on drugs already on the market and using drug delivery systems such as SNEDDS (oral) or transferosomes (transdermal), can contribute quickly and directly to the treatment of one of the most neglected diseases, reducing the cost to the health system and benefiting the patient with a less toxic treatment at home. Certainly, the development of new therapeutic options will undoubtedly contribute to public policies for controlling leishmaniasis in the future.