A Multi-Species Phenotypic Screening Assay for Leishmaniasis Drug Discovery Shows That Active Compounds Display a High Degree of Species-Specificity

Author(s)

Alcantara, Laura M. ^{[1, 2]} ; Ferreira, Thalita C. S. ^{[3, 2]} ; Fontana, Vanessa ^{[2, 4]} ; Chatelain, Eric ^[5] ; Moraes, Carolina B. ^{[1, 2, 6]} ; Freitas-Junior, Lucio H. ^{[3, 1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Microbiol, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Ctr Nacl Pesquisa Energia & Mat CNPEM, Lab Nacl Biociencias LNBio, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[3] Inst Butantan, BR-05503900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Liverpool, Dept Mol & Clin Pharmacol, Liverpool L69 3GL, Merseyside - England

^[5] Drugs Neglected Dis Initiat, CH-1211 Geneva - Switzerland

^[6] Fed Univ Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Pharmaceut Sci, BR-09913030 Diadema, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Molecules; v. 25, n. 11 JUN 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

High genetic and phenotypic variability between Leishmania species and strains within species make the development of broad-spectrum antileishmanial drugs challenging. Thus, screening panels consisting of several diverse Leishmania species can be useful in enabling compound prioritization based on their spectrum of activity. In this study, a robust and reproducible high content assay was developed, and 1280 small molecules were simultaneously screened against clinically relevant cutaneous and visceral species: L. amazonensis, L. braziliensis, and L. donovani. The assay is based on THP-1 macrophages infected with stationary phase promastigotes and posterior evaluation of both compound antileishmanial activity and host cell toxicity. The profile of compound activity was species-specific, and out of 51 active compounds, only 14 presented broad-spectrum activity against the three species, with activities ranging from 52% to 100%. Notably, the compounds CB1954, Clomipramine, Maprotiline, Protriptyline, and ML-9 presented pan-leishmanial activity, with efficacy greater than 70%. The results highlight the reduced number of compound classes with pan-leishmanial activity that might be available from diversity libraries, emphasizing the need to screen active compounds against a panel of species and strains. The assay reported here can be adapted to virtually any Leishmania species without the need for genetic modification of parasites, providing the basis for the discovery of broad spectrum anti-leishmanial agents. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/10436-6 - Discovery of new compounds for cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis treatment from high content screening
• Grantee: Thalita Camelo da Silva Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)