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Pinto AI, Caldas C, Santarém N, Luelmo S, Costa I, Martins C, Monteiro R, Conde S, Tavares R, da Silva AC. Leishmania and HIV co-infection: first naturally Leishmania strain presenting decreased susceptibility to miltefosine, recovered from a patient in Portugal. J Infect Public Health 2024; 17:810-818. [PMID: 38522155 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2024.03.008] [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: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Europe, up to 70% of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases occurring in adults living with HIV. People living with HIV with VL co-infection often display persistent parasitemia, requiring chronic intermittent anti-Leishmania therapies. Consequently, frequent VL relapses and higher mortality rates are common in these individuals. As such, it is of paramount importance to understand the reasons for parasite persistence to improve infection management. METHODS To outline possible causes for treatment failure in the context of HIV-VL, we followed a person living with HIV-VL co-infection for nine years in a 12-month period. We characterized: HIV-related clinicopathological alterations (CD4+ T counts and viremia) and Leishmania-specific seroreactivity, parasitemia, quantification of pro-inflammatory cytokines upon stimulation and studied a Leishmania clinical isolate recovered during this period. RESULTS The subject presented controlled viremia and low CD4+ counts. The subject remained PCR positive for Leishmania and also seropositive. The cellular response to parasite antigens was erratic. The isolate was identified as the first Leishmania infantum case with evidence of decreased miltefosine susceptibility in Portugal. CONCLUSION Treatment failure is a multifactorial process driven by host and parasite determinants. Still, the real-time determination of drug susceptibility profiles in clinical isolates is an unexplored resource in the monitoring of VL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Pinto
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal.
| | - Cátia Caldas
- Infectious Disease Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Santarém
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Sara Luelmo
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Inês Costa
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal; Microbiology Department, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Carlos Martins
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Monteiro
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal; Microbiology Department, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Conde
- Clinical Pathology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de São João, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, 4200-319 Oporto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Tavares
- Infectious Disease Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, 2674-514 Loures, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro da Silva
- Host-Parasite Interaction Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, i3S, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal; Microbiology Department, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Oporto, Portugal
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Bradley R, Simon D, Spiga L, Xiang Y, Takats Z, Williams H. Laser desorption rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (LD-REIMS) demonstrates a direct impact of hypochlorous acid stress on PQS-mediated quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mSystems 2024; 9:e0116523. [PMID: 38530056 PMCID: PMC11019781 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01165-23] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
To establish infections in human hosts, Pseudomonas aeruginosa must overcome innate immune-generated oxidative stress, such as the hypochlorous acid (HOCl) produced by neutrophils. We set out to find specific biomarkers of oxidative stress through the development of a protocol for the metabolic profiling of P. aeruginosa cultures grown in the presence of different oxidants using a novel ionization technique for mass spectrometry, laser desorption rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (LD-REIMS). We demonstrated the ability of LD-REIMS to classify samples as untreated or treated with a specific oxidant with 100% accuracy and identified a panel of 54 metabolites with significantly altered concentrations after exposure to one or more of the oxidants. Key metabolic changes were conserved in P. aeruginosa clinical strains isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis lung infections. These data demonstrated that HOCl stress impacted the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) quorum sensing system. Ten 2-alkyl-4-quinolones (AHQs) associated with the PQS system were significantly lower in concentration in HOCl-stressed P. aeruginosa cultures, including 2-heptyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolone (PQS), the most active signal molecule of the PQS system. The PQS system regulates the production of virulence factors, including pyocyanin and elastase, and their levels were markedly affected by HOCl stress. No pyocyanin was detectable and elastase concentrations were reduced by more than 75% in cultures grown with sub-lethal concentrations of HOCl, suggesting that this neutrophil-derived oxidant may disrupt the ability of P. aeruginosa to establish infections through interference with production of PQS-associated virulence factors. IMPORTANCE This work demonstrates that a high-throughput ambient ionization mass spectrometry method can be used successfully to study a bacterial stress response. Its application to the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa led to the identification of specific oxidative stress biomarkers, and demonstrated that hypochlorous acid, an oxidant specifically produced by human neutrophils during infection, affects quorum sensing and reduces production of the virulence factors pyocyanin and elastase. No pyocyanin was detectable and elastase levels were reduced by more than 75% in bacteria grown in the presence of hypochlorous acid. This approach has the potential to be widely applicable to the characterization of the stress responses of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Bradley
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Simon
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Didcot, United Kingdom
| | - Livia Spiga
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yuchen Xiang
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zoltan Takats
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Huw Williams
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Dantas RF, Torres-Santos EC, Silva FP. Past and future of trypanosomatids high-throughput phenotypic screening. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2022; 117:e210402. [PMID: 35293482 PMCID: PMC8920514 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Diseases caused by trypanosomatid parasites affect millions of people mainly living in developing countries. Novel drugs are highly needed since there are no vaccines and available treatment has several limitations, such as resistance, low efficacy, and high toxicity. The drug discovery process is often analogous to finding a needle in the haystack. In the last decades a so-called rational drug design paradigm, heavily dependent on computational approaches, has promised to deliver new drugs in a more cost-effective way. Paradoxically however, the mainstay of these computational methods is data-driven, meaning they need activity data for new compounds to be generated and available in databases. Therefore, high-throughput screening (HTS) of compounds still is a much-needed exercise in drug discovery to fuel other rational approaches. In trypanosomatids, due to the scarcity of validated molecular targets and biological complexity of these parasites, phenotypic screening has become an essential tool for the discovery of new bioactive compounds. In this article we discuss the perspectives of phenotypic HTS for trypanosomatid drug discovery with emphasis on the role of image-based, high-content methods. We also propose an ideal cascade of assays for the identification of new drug candidates for clinical development using leishmaniasis as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Ferreira Dantas
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental de Computacional de Fármacos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Eduardo Caio Torres-Santos
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Bioquímica de Tripanosomatídeos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - Floriano Paes Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental de Computacional de Fármacos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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Genomic and Phenotypic Characterization of Experimentally Selected Resistant Leishmania donovani Reveals a Role for Dynamin-1-Like Protein in the Mechanism of Resistance to a Novel Antileishmanial Compound. mBio 2022; 13:e0326421. [PMID: 35012338 PMCID: PMC8749414 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03264-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The implementation of prospective drug resistance (DR) studies in the research-and-development (R&D) pipeline is a common practice for many infectious diseases but not for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Here, we explored and demonstrated the importance of this approach using as paradigms Leishmania donovani, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and TCMDC-143345, a promising compound of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) "Leishbox" to treat VL. We experimentally selected resistance to TCMDC-143345 in vitro and characterized resistant parasites at the genomic and phenotypic levels. We found that it took more time to develop resistance to TCMDC-143345 than to other drugs in clinical use and that there was no cross-resistance to these drugs, suggesting a new and unique mechanism. By whole-genome sequencing, we found two mutations in the gene encoding the L. donovani dynamin-1-like protein (LdoDLP1) that were fixed at the highest drug pressure. Through phylogenetic analysis, we identified LdoDLP1 as a family member of the dynamin-related proteins, a group of proteins that impacts the shapes of biological membranes by mediating fusion and fission events, with a putative role in mitochondrial fission. We found that L. donovani lines genetically engineered to harbor the two identified LdoDLP1 mutations were resistant to TCMDC-143345 and displayed altered mitochondrial properties. By homology modeling, we showed how the two LdoDLP1 mutations may influence protein structure and function. Taken together, our data reveal a clear involvement of LdoDLP1 in the adaptation/reduced susceptibility of L. donovani to TCMDC-143345. IMPORTANCE Humans and their pathogens are continuously locked in a molecular arms race during which the eventual emergence of pathogen drug resistance (DR) seems inevitable. For neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), DR is generally studied retrospectively once it has already been established in clinical settings. We previously recommended to keep one step ahead in the host-pathogen arms race and implement prospective DR studies in the R&D pipeline, a common practice for many infectious diseases but not for NTDs. Here, using Leishmania donovani, the etiological agent of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and TCMDC-143345, a promising compound of the GSK Leishbox to treat VL, as paradigms, we experimentally selected resistance to the compound and proceeded to genomic and phenotypic characterization of DR parasites. The results gathered in the present study suggest a new DR mechanism involving the L. donovani dynamin-1-like protein (LdoDLP1) and demonstrate the practical relevance of prospective DR studies.
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Büchele MLC, Filippin-Monteiro FB, de Lima B, Camargo CDJ, Restrepo JAS, Souza LC, Creczynski-Pasa TB, Caumo KS. Super aggregated amphotericin B with a thermoreversible in situ gelling ophthalmic system for amoebic keratitis treatment. Acta Trop 2021; 224:106144. [PMID: 34562424 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106144] [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: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Acanthamoeba spp. are the causative agents of a sight-threatening infection of the cornea known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). Amphotericin B - deoxycholate (AB) is used in the treatment of infectious keratitis, however, its topical administration has side effects as blepharitis, iritis, and painful instillation. In this context, the preheating of AB can decrease its toxicity by the formation of super aggregates (hAB). hAB associated with a thermoreversible in situ gelling ophthalmic system is a promising option due to the latter biocompatibility, low toxicity, and high residence time on the ocular surface. Our objective was to develop a topical ocular formulation of hAB for the treatment of AK. After heating at 70°C for 20 min, hAB was incorporated into a thermoreversible gelling system. The amebicidal activity of AB and hAB was evaluated against trophozoites and cysts of A. castellanii (ATCC 50492) and a regional clinical isolate (IC01). The results showed that the preheating of AB did not change the pharmacological action of the drug, with the amebicidal effect of AB and hAB under trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba spp. The thermoreversible system remained stable, allowing the increase of drug retention time. For assessment of cytotoxicity, HUVEC (ATCC® CRL-1730) cells were challenged with AB and hAB for 48h. Cell viability was assessed, and hAB did not show cytotoxicity for HUVEC cells. As far as we know this was the first study that showed the preheated AB associated with a thermoreversible in situ gelling ophthalmic system as a promising system for topical ocular topical administration of hAB for AK therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Luiza Carneiro Büchele
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas. CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Fabíola Branco Filippin-Monteiro
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Imunobiologia do Tecido Adiposo. CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Barbara de Lima
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Imunobiologia do Tecido Adiposo. CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Carolina de Jesus Camargo
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas. CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Jelver Alexander Sierra Restrepo
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Grupo de Estudos de Interações entre Micro e Macromoléculas, CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Liliete Canes Souza
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Imunobiologia do Tecido Adiposo. CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Tania Beatriz Creczynski-Pasa
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Grupo de Estudos de Interações entre Micro e Macromoléculas, CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Karin Silva Caumo
- Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Laboratório de Estudos de Protozoários Emergentes e Oportunistas. CEP: 88040-970, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil..
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6
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Zulfiqar B, Avery VM. Assay development in leishmaniasis drug discovery: a comprehensive review. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 17:151-166. [PMID: 34818139 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2002843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cutaneous, muco-cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis occur due to an infection with the protozoan parasite Leishmania. The current therapeutic options are limited mainly due to extensive toxicity, emerging resistance and variation in efficacy based on species and strain of the Leishmania parasite. There exists a high unmet medical need to identify new chemical starting points for drug discovery to tackle the disease. AREAS COVERED The authors have highlighted the recent progress, limitations and successes achieved in assay development for leishmaniasis drug discovery. EXPERT OPINION It is true that sophisticated and robust phenotypic in vitro assays have been developed during the last decade, however limitations and challenges remain with respect to variation in activity reported between different research groups and success in translating in vitro outcomes in vivo. The variability is not only due to strain and species differences but also a lack of well-defined criteria and assay conditions, e.g. culture media, host cell type, assay formats, parasite form used, multiplicity of infection and incubation periods. Thus, there is an urgent need for more physiologically relevant assays that encompass multi-species phenotypic approaches to identify new chemical starting points for leishmaniasis drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilal Zulfiqar
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Vicky M Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.,Discovery Biology, Griffith University Drug Discovery Programme for Cancer Therapeutics, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Environment and Sciences, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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Escrivani DO, Charlton RL, Caruso MB, Burle-Caldas GA, Borsodi MPG, Zingali RB, Arruda-Costa N, Palmeira-Mello MV, de Jesus JB, Souza AMT, Abrahim-Vieira B, Freitag-Pohl S, Pohl E, Denny PW, Rossi-Bergmann B, Steel PG. Chalcones identify cTXNPx as a potential antileishmanial drug target. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009951. [PMID: 34780470 PMCID: PMC8664226 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
With current drug treatments failing due to toxicity, low efficacy and resistance; leishmaniasis is a major global health challenge that desperately needs new validated drug targets. Inspired by activity of the natural chalcone 2’,6’-dihydroxy-4’-methoxychalcone (DMC), the nitro-analogue, 3-nitro-2’,4’,6’- trimethoxychalcone (NAT22, 1c) was identified as potent broad spectrum antileishmanial drug lead. Structural modification provided an alkyne containing chemical probe that labelled a protein within the parasite that was confirmed as cytosolic tryparedoxin peroxidase (cTXNPx). Crucially, labelling is observed in both promastigote and intramacrophage amastigote life forms, with no evidence of host macrophage toxicity. Incubation of the chalcone in the parasite leads to ROS accumulation and parasite death. Deletion of cTXNPx, by CRISPR-Cas9, dramatically impacts upon the parasite phenotype and reduces the antileishmanial activity of the chalcone analogue. Molecular docking studies with a homology model of in-silico cTXNPx suggest that the chalcone is able to bind in the putative active site hindering access to the crucial cysteine residue. Collectively, this work identifies cTXNPx as an important target for antileishmanial chalcones. Leishmaniasis is an insect vector-borne parasitic disease. With >350 million people world wide considered at risk, 12 million people currently infected and an economic cost that can be estimated in terms of >3.3 million working life years lost, leishmaniasis is a major global health challenge. The disease is of particular importance in Brazil. Current treatment of leishmaniasis is difficult requiring a long, costly course of drug treatment using old drugs with poor safety indications requiring close medical supervision. Moreover, resistance to current antileishmanials is growing, emphasising a major need for new drug targets. In earlier work we had identified a naturally inspired chalcone which had promising antileishmanial activity but with no known mode of action. In this work we use an analogue of this molecule as an activity based probe to identify a protein target of the chalcone. This protein, cTXNPx, has a major role in protecting the parasite against attack by reactive oxygen species in the host cell. By inhibiting this protein the parasite can no longer survive in the host. Collectively this work validates cTXNPx as a drug target with the chalcone as a lead structure for future drug discovery programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas O. Escrivani
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca L. Charlton
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Marjolly B. Caruso
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriela A. Burle-Caldas
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Paula G. Borsodi
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Russolina B. Zingali
- Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Natalia Arruda-Costa
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Jéssica B. de Jesus
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Stefanie Freitag-Pohl
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Ehmke Pohl
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Paul W. Denny
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Bartira Rossi-Bergmann
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail: (BR-B); (PGS)
| | - Patrick G. Steel
- Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (BR-B); (PGS)
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8
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Hammill JT, Sviripa VM, Kril LM, Ortiz D, Fargo CM, Kim HS, Chen Y, Rector J, Rice AL, Domagalska MA, Begley KL, Liu C, Rangnekar VM, Dujardin JC, Watt DS, Landfear SM, Guy RK. Amino-Substituted 3-Aryl- and 3-Heteroarylquinolines as Potential Antileishmanial Agents. J Med Chem 2021; 64:12152-12162. [PMID: 34355566 PMCID: PMC8404201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by protozoa of the Leishmania species, afflicts roughly 12 million individuals worldwide. Most existing drugs for leishmaniasis are toxic, expensive, difficult to administer, and subject to drug resistance. We report a new class of antileishmanial leads, the 3-arylquinolines, that potently block proliferation of the intramacrophage amastigote form of Leishmania parasites with good selectivity relative to the host macrophages. Early lead 34 was rapidly acting and possessed good potency against L. mexicana (EC50 = 120 nM), 30-fold selectivity for the parasite relative to the macrophage (EC50 = 3.7 μM), and also blocked proliferation of Leishmania donovani parasites resistant to antimonial drugs. Finally, another early lead, 27, which exhibited reasonable in vivo tolerability, impaired disease progression during the dosing period in a murine model of cutaneous leishmaniasis. These results suggest that the arylquinolines provide a fruitful departure point for the development of new antileishmanial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared T. Hammill
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
| | - Vitaliy M. Sviripa
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
- Center
for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0596, United States
- Lucille
Parker Markey Cancer Center, University
of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0093, United States
| | - Liliia M. Kril
- Center
for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0596, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509, United States
| | - Diana Ortiz
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Corinne M. Fargo
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Ho Shin Kim
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
| | - Yizhe Chen
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
| | - Jonah Rector
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
| | - Amy L. Rice
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
| | - Malgorzata A. Domagalska
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical
Medicine, Nationalestraat, 155, Antwerpen 2000, Belgium
| | - Kristin L. Begley
- Center
for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0596, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509, United States
| | - Chunming Liu
- Lucille
Parker Markey Cancer Center, University
of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0093, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509, United States
| | - Vivek M. Rangnekar
- Lucille
Parker Markey Cancer Center, University
of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0093, United States
- Department
of Radiation Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-9983, United States
- Graduate
Center for Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0305, United States
| | - Jean-Claude Dujardin
- Department
of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical
Medicine, Nationalestraat, 155, Antwerpen 2000, Belgium
| | - David S. Watt
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
- Center
for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0596, United States
- Lucille
Parker Markey Cancer Center, University
of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0093, United States
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509, United States
| | - Scott M. Landfear
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - R. Kiplin Guy
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0509 United States
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9
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Martínez de Iturrate P, Sebastián-Pérez V, Nácher-Vázquez M, Tremper CS, Smirlis D, Martín J, Martínez A, Campillo NE, Rivas L, Gil C. Towards discovery of new leishmanicidal scaffolds able to inhibit Leishmania GSK-3. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2020; 35:199-210. [PMID: 31752556 PMCID: PMC6882465 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2019.1693704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous reports have validated the glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) as a druggable target against the human protozoan parasite Leishmania. This prompted us to search for new leishmanicidal scaffolds as inhibitors of this enzyme from our in-house library of human GSK-3β inhibitors, as well as from the Leishbox collection of leishmanicidal compounds developed by GlaxoSmithKline. As a result, new leishmanicidal inhibitors acting on Leishmania GSK-3 at micromolar concentrations were found. These inhibitors belong to six different chemical classes (thiadiazolidindione, halomethylketone, maleimide, benzoimidazole, N-phenylpyrimidine-2-amine and oxadiazole). In addition, the binding mode of the most active compounds into Leishmania GSK-3 was approached using computational tools. On the whole, we have uncovered new chemical scaffolds with an appealing prospective in the development and use of Leishmania GSK-3 inhibitors against this infectious protozoan.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Despina Smirlis
- Microbiology Department, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - Julio Martín
- Global Health R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos, Spain
| | - Ana Martínez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Luis Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Gil
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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10
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Phenotype evaluation of human and canine isolates of Leishmania infantum. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 73:101551. [PMID: 33010787 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and canine leishmaniasis (CanL) in countries of South and Central America are caused by Leishmania infantum and has been endemic in Brazil for several years. The parasite biodiversity as well as the pharmacologic properties of drugs and the host species, are involved in the efficacy or inefficacy of leishmaniasis treatments. Although there are substantial number of reports describing the genetic characterization of the clinical field isolates of L. infantum,the phenotypic parameters have been less studied. In this study isolates from human and canine leishmaniasis (Hum1 and Can1) obtained in Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil were identified as L. infantum. The Hum1 and Can1 isolates exhibited typical promastigote growth pattern. Regarding morphological features Can1 isolate differed in cell size. The infectivity in vitro of both isolatesis lower compared to the reference strain of L. infantum. Moreover, the in vivo infectivity of the three parasites is similar in Balb/c mice. The Hum1 isolate is more sensitive to leishmanial drugs (amphotericin B, miltefosine and glucantime) than the Can1 isolate when inside human macrophages, but not when inside canine macrophages. These findings indicated that L. infantum isolates differs in some phenotypic characteristics.
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11
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Bhattacharya A, Corbeil A, do Monte-Neto RL, Fernandez-Prada C. Of Drugs and Trypanosomatids: New Tools and Knowledge to Reduce Bottlenecks in Drug Discovery. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11070722. [PMID: 32610603 PMCID: PMC7397081 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis (Leishmania species), sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma brucei), and Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi) are devastating and globally spread diseases caused by trypanosomatid parasites. At present, drugs for treating trypanosomatid diseases are far from ideal due to host toxicity, elevated cost, limited access, and increasing rates of drug resistance. Technological advances in parasitology, chemistry, and genomics have unlocked new possibilities for novel drug concepts and compound screening technologies that were previously inaccessible. In this perspective, we discuss current models used in drug-discovery cascades targeting trypanosomatids (from in vitro to in vivo approaches), their use and limitations in a biological context, as well as different examples of recently discovered lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arijit Bhattacharya
- Department of Microbiology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700 126, India;
| | - Audrey Corbeil
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
| | | | - Christopher Fernandez-Prada
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-450-773-8521 (ext. 32802)
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12
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Ribeiro JM, Bandeira CC, de Faria BG, Alves MLR, Vieira FO, Giunchetti RC, Uzonna JE, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Peruhype-Magalhães V, Souza-Fagundes EM. An ex vivo multiparametric flow cytometry assay using human whole blood to simultaneously measure cytotoxicity and leishmanicidal activities. Exp Parasitol 2020; 216:107940. [PMID: 32562606 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2020.107940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic options for the treatment of leishmaniasis are insufficient and need improvements owing to their low efficiency and high toxicity as well as the emergence of resistant strains. The limited number of new drugs for neglected diseases and lack of innovation in your development are still challenges. In this context, the process of discovery and development of biological assays play a pivotal role for the identification of bioactive compounds. The assays currently used for screening of drugs with cytotoxic activity against Leishmania parasites, include different processes that utilize intact parasite (free or intracellular) or specific enzymes of metabolism as a target cell. These assays allow the screening of large numbers of samples followed by more detailed secondary confirmatory assays to confirm the observed activity and assess their toxicity. In the present study, we described the development of a new functional and more complete assay that enables simultaneous assessment of potential anti-Leishmania compounds through evaluation of internalization of fluorescein-labeled L. braziliensis promastigotes by human peripheral blood monocytes and their cytotoxicity by flow cytometry. We standardized the conditions for parasite labeling to achieve better phagocytosis analysis by setting the ratio of number of parasites per cell as 1 to 2, at incubation time of 6h. The cytotoxicity assessment was performed by the quantification of cells undergoing early/late apoptosis and necrosis using a double labelling platform employing 7AAD for late apoptosis and necrosis analysis and Annexin-V for early apoptosis evaluation. Hemolysis analysis was an additional parameter to test cytotoxicity. Two drugs used on clinic (Amphotericin B and Glucantime®) were used to validate the proposed methodology, and the assay was able to detect their known leishmanicidal activity and immunotoxicity properties. This new predictive assay will contribute to the development of translational medicine strategies in drug discovery for neglected diseases such as leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana M Ribeiro
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cristiano C Bandeira
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno G de Faria
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marina L R Alves
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Francisco O Vieira
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodolfo C Giunchetti
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jude E Uzonna
- Department of Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, R3T 0T5, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Peruhype-Magalhães
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Elaine M Souza-Fagundes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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13
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Alcântara LM, Ferreira TCS, Fontana V, Chatelain E, Moraes CB, Freitas-Junior LH. A Multi-Species Phenotypic Screening Assay for Leishmaniasis Drug Discovery Shows That Active Compounds Display a High Degree of Species-Specificity. Molecules 2020; 25:E2551. [PMID: 32486239 PMCID: PMC7321149 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. Alcântara
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil; (L.M.A.); (T.C.S.F.); (V.F.)
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Thalita C. S. Ferreira
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil; (L.M.A.); (T.C.S.F.); (V.F.)
- Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Fontana
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil; (L.M.A.); (T.C.S.F.); (V.F.)
| | - Eric Chatelain
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;
| | - Carolina B. Moraes
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil; (L.M.A.); (T.C.S.F.); (V.F.)
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Lucio H. Freitas-Junior
- Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM), Campinas, SP 13083-970, Brazil; (L.M.A.); (T.C.S.F.); (V.F.)
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-900, Brazil
- Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, SP 05503-900, Brazil
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14
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Baek KH, Piel L, Rosazza T, Prina E, Späth GF, No JH. Infectivity and Drug Susceptibility Profiling of Different Leishmania-Host Cell Combinations. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9050393. [PMID: 32443883 PMCID: PMC7281264 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9050393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a spectrum of a disease that threatens public health worldwide. Although next-generation therapeutics are urgently needed, the early stage of the drug discovery process is hampered by very low hit rates from intracellular Leishmania phenotypic high-throughput screenings. Designing and applying a physiologically relevant in vitro assay is therefore in high demand. In this study, we characterized the infectivity, morphology, and drug susceptibility of different Leishmania and host cell infection combinations. Primary bone marrow-derived macrophage (BMDM) and differentiated human acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells were infected with amastigote or promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis and Leishmania donovani. Regardless of host cell types, amastigotes were generally well phagocytosed and showed high infectivity, whereas promastigotes, especially those of L. donovani, had predominantly remained in the extracellular space. In the drug susceptibility test, miltefosine and sodium stibogluconate (SSG) showed varying ranges of activity with 14 and >10-fold differences in susceptibility, depending on the host-parasite pairs, indicating the importance of assay conditions for evaluating antileishmanial activity. Overall, our results suggest that combinations of Leishmania species, infection forms, and host cells must be carefully optimized to evaluate the activity of potential therapeutic compounds against Leishmania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Hwa Baek
- Leishmania Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea;
| | - Laura Piel
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, 75015 Paris, France; (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.P.); (G.F.S.)
| | - Thibault Rosazza
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, 75015 Paris, France; (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.P.); (G.F.S.)
| | - Eric Prina
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, 75015 Paris, France; (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.P.); (G.F.S.)
| | - Gerald F. Späth
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Parasitologie Moléculaire et Signalisation, 75015 Paris, France; (L.P.); (T.R.); (E.P.); (G.F.S.)
| | - Joo Hwan No
- Leishmania Research Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13488, Korea;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-31-8018-8210
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15
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Kavian Z, Alavizadeh SH, Golmohamadzadeh S, Badiee A, Khamesipour A, Jaafari MR. Development of topical liposomes containing miltefosine for the treatment of Leishmania major infection in susceptible BALB/c mice. Acta Trop 2019; 196:142-149. [PMID: 31103698 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we investigated the efficacy of liposomes for the topical delivery of miltefosine (ML) to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Liposomes containing varying concentrations of ML (0.5, 1, 2 and 4%) were prepared and characterized by their size and entrapment efficiency. The liposome diameters were between 100-150 nm. The penetration of ML from liposomal formulations through and in the skin was assessed using ex-vivo Franz diffusion cells fitted with mouse skin at 37 °C for 24 h. Data indicated that Lip-ML-4% showed the highest percent of retention across mouse skin (82%). in vitro promastigote and amastigote assays showed that ML and Lip-ML inhibit the growth of parasites either in the culture medium or intracellularly. Lip-ML formulations were topically applied twice a day for 4 weeks to the skin of BALB/c mice infected with L. major. Results showed a significantly (p < 0.001) smaller lesion size in Lip-ML-2 and 4% when compared to controls. At week 8 post-infection, the number of parasites was higher in Lip-ML-0.5% compared to Lip-ML-2 and 4%, however, the difference was not significant. At week 12, the splenic parasite burden was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in mice treated with different Lip-ML formulations when compared to controls. The lesion parasite burden was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in mice treated with either Lip-ML-2 and 4% compared to Lip-ML-0.5% at week 12 post-infection. The results suggested that topical Lip-ML-4% showed optimal ex-vivo penetration and in vivo anti-leishmanial activity against CL caused by L. major when compared to ML cream and other liposomes and thus, merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Kavian
- School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Hoda Alavizadeh
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Shiva Golmohamadzadeh
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ali Badiee
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ali Khamesipour
- Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Reza Jaafari
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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16
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Teran R, Guevara R, Mora J, Dobronski L, Barreiro-Costa O, Beske T, Pérez-Barrera J, Araya-Maturana R, Rojas-Silva P, Poveda A, Heredia-Moya J. Characterization of Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Leishmanicidal Activities of Schiff Base Derivatives of 4-Aminoantipyrine. Molecules 2019; 24:E2696. [PMID: 31344947 PMCID: PMC6696115 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24152696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Our main interest is the characterization of compounds to support the development of alternatives to currently marketed drugs that are losing effectiveness due to the development of resistance. Schiff bases are promising biologically interesting compounds having a wide range of pharmaceutical properties, including anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and antimicrobial activities, among others. In this work, we have synthesized 12 Schiff base derivatives of 4-aminoantipyrine. In vitro antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxicity properties are analyzed, as well as in silico predictive adsorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and bioactivity scores. Results identify two potential Schiff bases: one effective against E. faecalis and the other with antioxidant activity. Both have reasonable ADME scores and provides a scaffold for developing more effective compounds in the future. Initial studies are usually limited to laboratory in vitro approaches, and following these initial studies, much research is needed before a drug can reach the clinic. Nevertheless, these laboratory approaches are mandatory and constitute a first filter to discriminate among potential drug candidates and chemical compounds that should be discarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rommy Teran
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
| | - Rommel Guevara
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
- Instituto de Investigación en Salud Pública y Zoonosis-CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
| | - Jessica Mora
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
| | - Lizeth Dobronski
- Centro de Investigación Traslacional, Universidad De Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
| | - Olalla Barreiro-Costa
- Centro de Investigación Traslacional, Universidad De Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
| | - Timo Beske
- Instituto de Investigación en Salud Pública y Zoonosis-CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
| | - Jorge Pérez-Barrera
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
- Instituto de Investigación en Salud Pública y Zoonosis-CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador
| | - Ramiro Araya-Maturana
- Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales, Programa de Investigación Asociativa en Cáncer Gástrico (PIA-CG), Universidad de Talca, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Patricio Rojas-Silva
- Centro de Investigación Traslacional, Universidad De Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
| | - Ana Poveda
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador.
- Instituto de Investigación en Salud Pública y Zoonosis-CIZ, Universidad Central del Ecuador, Quito 170521, Ecuador.
| | - Jorge Heredia-Moya
- Centro de Investigación Traslacional, Universidad De Las Américas, Quito 170503, Ecuador.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador.
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17
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Balaña-Fouce R, Pérez Pertejo MY, Domínguez-Asenjo B, Gutiérrez-Corbo C, Reguera RM. Walking a tightrope: drug discovery in visceral leishmaniasis. Drug Discov Today 2019; 24:1209-1216. [PMID: 30876846 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The current commitment of the pharma industry, nongovernmental organizations and academia to find better treatments against neglected tropical diseases should end decades of challenge caused by these global scourges. The initial result of these efforts has been the introduction of enhanced combinations of drugs, currently in clinical use, or formulations thereof. Phenotypic screening based on intracellular parasite infections has been revealed as the first key tool of antileishmanial drug discovery, because most first-in-class drugs entering Phase I trials were discovered this way. The professional commitment among stakeholders has enabled the availability of a plethora of new chemical entities that fit the target product profile for these diseases. However, the rate of hit discovery in leishmaniasis is far behind that for other neglected diseases. This review defends the need to develop new screening methods that consider the part played not only by intracellular parasites but also by the host's immune system to generate disease-relevant assays and improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana, E-24071 León, Spain
| | - M Yolanda Pérez Pertejo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana, E-24071 León, Spain
| | - Bárbara Domínguez-Asenjo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana, E-24071 León, Spain
| | - Camino Gutiérrez-Corbo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana, E-24071 León, Spain
| | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana, E-24071 León, Spain.
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18
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Lamotte S, Aulner N, Späth GF, Prina E. Discovery of novel hit compounds with broad activity against visceral and cutaneous Leishmania species by comparative phenotypic screening. Sci Rep 2019; 9:438. [PMID: 30679614 PMCID: PMC6345745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36944-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The limited success of recent phenotypic anti-leishmanial drug screening campaigns calls for new screening strategies for the discovery of clinically relevant hits. Here we present such a novel strategy based on physiologically relevant, ex vivo biology. We established high content phenotypic assays that combine primary murine macrophages and lesion-derived, virulent L. donovani and L. amazonensis amastigotes, which we applied to validate previously identified, anti-leishmanial hit compounds referred to as ‘GSK Leish-Box’. Together with secondary screens using cultured promastigotes, our pipeline distinguished stage- and/or species-specific compounds, including 20 hits with broad activity at 10 µM against intracellular amastigotes of both viscerotropic and dermotropic Leishmania. Even though the GSK Leish-Box hits were identified by phenotypic screening using THP-1 macrophage-like cells hosting culture-derived L. donovani LdBob parasites, our ex vivo assays only validated anti-leishmanial activity at 10 µM on intra-macrophagic L. donovani for 23 out of the 188 GSK Leish-Box hits. In conclusion, our comparative approach allowed the identification of hits with broad anti-leishmanial activity that represent interesting novel candidates to be tested in animal models. Physiologically more relevant screening approaches such as described here may reduce the very high attrition rate observed during pre-clinical and clinical phases of the drug development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Lamotte
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Parasitology and Signaling, INSERM U1201, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Paris, France
| | - N Aulner
- Institut Pasteur, UTechS Photonic BioImaging, Center for Technological Research and Resources, 75015, Paris, France
| | - G F Späth
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Parasitology and Signaling, INSERM U1201, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Paris, France.
| | - E Prina
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Parasitology and Signaling, INSERM U1201, Department of Parasites and Insect Vectors, Paris, France.
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