In Vivo Efficacy of Meglumine Antimoniate-Loaded Nanoparticles for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Nanotechnology is a promising strategy to improve existing antileishmanial agents. Objective: To explore the evidence of encapsulated meglumine antimoniate for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment in animal models. Materials & methods: The studies were recovered from PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, LILACS, WoS and Google according to eligibility criteria following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study design (PICOS) strategy. Study appraisal was assessed using the Animal Research Reporting of In Vivo Experiments, SYstematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) recommendations. Results: Five studies were included. Liposomes, metallic and polymeric nanoparticles were tested in BALB/c mice against Leishmania major, L. tropica or L. amazonensis. Limitations: Few studies were found to meet the eligibility criteria. Conclusion: All formulations had a significant efficacy, similar to the meglumine antimoniate reference treatment concerning the lesion size and parasite burden. The studies had a high and moderate risk of bias, and the confidence in cumulative evidence was considered low. Therefore, we encourage the development of high-quality preclinical studies. Registration: PROSPERO register CRD42020170191.

Keywords::

• cutaneous leishmaniasis
• Leishmania
• meglumine antimoniate
• nanoparticles
• nanotechnology

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/suppl/10.2217/nnm-2021-0119

Author contributions

MB Pereira, JJV Teixeira and IG Demarchi performed the literature research and designed the data extraction form. MB Pereira, BG Sydor and KG Memare performed data extraction. MB Pereira and BG Sydor assessed the study quality and risk of bias. The data analysis was performed by MB Pereira and IG Demarchi. IG Demarchi, JJV Teixeira, MVC Lonardoni, SMA Aristides, TGV Silveira and EM Dalmarco critically reviewed the analyzed data. MB Pereira wrote the paper. IG Demarchi critically reviewed subsequent drafts. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission. All authors had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank LA Faustino for developing the schematic representation used in this paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.