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Updated: Dec 7, 2025
Author Spotlight: Studying Behavior of Acanthamoeba to Develop Targeted Strategies for Preventing Acanthamoeba Keratitis
Published on: September 20, 2024
Nanoparticles based therapeutic efficacy against Acanthamoeba: Updates and future prospect
Geetansh Sharma1, Sonali K Kalra1, Nidhi Tejan2
1Faculty of Applied Sciences & Biotechnology, Shoolini University of Biotechnology & Management Sciences, Bajhol, District Solan, H.P, 173229, India.
Abstract:
Acanthamoeba sp. is a free living amoeba that causes severe, painful and fatal infections, viz. Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis among humans. Antimicrobial chemotherapy used against Acanthamoeba is toxic to human cells and show side effects as well. Infections due to Acanthamoeba also pose challenges towards currently used antimicrobial treatment including resistance and transformation of trophozoites to resistant cyst forms that can lead to recurrence of infection. Therapeutic agents targeting central nervous system infections caused by Acanthamoeba should be able to cross blood-brain barrier. Nanoparticles based drug delivery put forth an effective therapeutic method to overcome the limitations of currently used antimicrobial chemotherapy. In recent years, various researchers investigated the effectiveness of nanoparticles conjugated drug and/or naturally occurring plant compounds against both trophozoites and cyst form of Acanthamoeba. In the current review, a reasonable effort has been made to provide a comprehensive overview of various nanoparticles tested for their efficacy against Acanthamoeba. This review summarizes the noteworthy details of research performed to elucidate the effect of nanoparticles conjugated drugs against Acanthamoeba.
Insights
Nanoparticles offer a promising approach to combat Acanthamoeba infections, overcoming drug toxicity and resistance issues associated with conventional treatments for conditions like Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Area of Science:
- Medical Microbiology
- Nanotechnology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Acanthamoeba species cause severe human infections, including Acanthamoeba keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis.
- Current antimicrobial treatments for Acanthamoeba infections exhibit toxicity, side effects, and face challenges like drug resistance and cyst formation.
- Effective treatments for central nervous system infections must cross the blood-brain barrier.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of nanoparticle-based therapeutic strategies against Acanthamoeba.
- To summarize research on the efficacy of nanoparticles conjugated with drugs or natural compounds against Acanthamoeba.
- To highlight the potential of nanotechnology in overcoming limitations of current Acanthamoeba chemotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing research on nanoparticles tested against Acanthamoeba.
- Analysis of studies investigating nanoparticle-drug conjugates and nanoparticle-natural compound conjugates.
- Evaluation of nanoparticle efficacy against both trophozoite and cyst forms of Acanthamoeba.
Main Results:
- Various nanoparticles have been investigated for their effectiveness against Acanthamoeba.
- Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems show potential in overcoming limitations of conventional chemotherapy.
- Research indicates efficacy of nanoparticles conjugated with drugs and/or natural compounds against Acanthamoeba.
Conclusions:
- Nanoparticle-based drug delivery presents an effective therapeutic strategy for Acanthamoeba infections.
- Nanoparticles can potentially mitigate issues of drug toxicity, resistance, and cyst formation.
- Further research into nanoparticle applications holds promise for improved Acanthamoeba treatment outcomes.
