Advanced amphotericin-B gel formulation: An efficient approach to combat cutaneous leishmaniasis

Area of Science:

• Polymer chemistry
• Drug delivery systems
• Infectious disease research

Background:

• Conventional amphotericin-B (AmB) faces limitations like poor water solubility and gastrointestinal irritation.
• Cutaneous leishmaniasis requires effective drug delivery systems to overcome treatment challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel AmB-loaded copolymer gels (TMP-HPG-PCL and GLY-HPG-PCL) for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment.
• To evaluate the safety, drug release profile, and therapeutic efficacy of these AmB-loaded gels.

Main Methods:

• Gels were synthesized using polyglycerol and ε-caprolactone copolymers incorporated with AmB.
• Characterization involved FTIR, NMR, TG, and DSC techniques.
• In vitro drug release, hemolytic, and cytotoxic studies were performed, followed by in vivo efficacy testing in Leishmania major-infected mice.

Main Results:

• AmB remained in its less toxic monomeric form within the copolymers.
• High AmB loading (31%) and encapsulation efficiency (93%) were achieved.
• The gels demonstrated controlled AmB release, significantly reduced parasite load (70%) in mice, and showed no toxicity to HaCat and MCF-7 cell lines.

Conclusions:

• The developed TMP-HPG-PCL and GLY-HPG-PCL copolymers are safe and effective drug carriers for AmB.
• These AmB-loaded gels show significant potential for combating cutaneous leishmaniasis with improved safety and efficacy.