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Importance of Theranostics in Rare Brain-Eating Amoebae Infections
Ayaz Anwar1, Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui1, Naveed Ahmed Khan1
1Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology , Sunway University , Selangor 47500 , Malaysia.
Abstract:
Pathogenic free-living amoebae including Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Naegleria fowleri cause infections of the central nervous system (CNS), which almost always prove fatal. The mortality rate is high with the CNS infections caused by these microbes despite modern developments in healthcare and antimicrobial chemotherapy. The low awareness, delayed diagnosis, and lack of effective drugs are major hurdles to overcome these challenges. Nanomaterials have emerged as vital tools for concurrent diagnosis and therapy, which are commonly referred to as theranostics. Nanomaterials offer highly sensitive diagnostic systems and viable therapeutic effects as a single modality. There has been good progress to develop nanomaterials based efficient theranostic systems against numerous kinds of tumors, but this field is yet immature in the context of infectious diseases, particularly parasitic infections. Herein, we describe the potential value of theranostic applications of nanomaterials against brain infections due to pathogenic amoebae.
Insights
Pathogenic free-living amoebae cause fatal brain infections. Nanomaterials offer promising theranostic solutions for diagnosing and treating these challenging parasitic infections.
Area of Science:
- Neuroparasitology
- Nanomedicine
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pathogenic free-living amoebae, including Acanthamoeba spp., Balamuthia mandrillaris, and Naegleria fowleri, cause invariably fatal central nervous system (CNS) infections.
- Despite advances in healthcare, high mortality rates persist due to low awareness, delayed diagnosis, and limited effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of nanomaterial-based theranostics for combating CNS infections caused by pathogenic amoebae.
- To highlight the emerging role of nanotechnology in addressing parasitic brain infections.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research on nanomaterials for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
- Focus on theranostic approaches combining diagnosis and treatment.
- Exploration of nanomaterial efficacy against parasitic infections, particularly in the context of CNS diseases.
Main Results:
- Nanomaterials show promise for highly sensitive diagnostics and effective therapeutic interventions.
- Theranostic applications of nanomaterials are well-developed for tumors but immature for infectious diseases.
- Potential exists for developing nanomaterial-based theranostic systems against amoebic brain infections.
Conclusions:
- Nanomaterials offer a novel, dual-function approach for diagnosing and treating pathogenic amoebic brain infections.
- Further research is needed to mature theranostic applications of nanomaterials in the field of parasitic infectious diseases.
- Theranostics represent a significant advancement in tackling life-threatening CNS infections caused by free-living amoebae.
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