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Indazole Derivatives Against Murine Cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Niurka Mollineda-Diogo1, Yunierkis Pérez-Castillo2, Sergio Sifontes-Rodríguez3
1Centro de Bioactivos Químicos, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Santa Clara 54800, Villa Clara, Cuba.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 28, 2025
Summary
New indazole derivatives show promise for treating leishmaniasis. Compound NV6 demonstrated significant antileishmanial activity in vivo, comparable to existing treatments, suggesting potential for future drug development.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Parasitology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease requiring new treatments.
- Existing treatments have limitations; novel oral/topical options are a priority.
- Previous studies indicated promising in vitro activity for indazole derivatives against Leishmania.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vivo antileishmanial efficacy of indazole derivatives NV6 and NV16.
- To assess the potential of these compounds as candidates for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Main Methods:
- BALB/c mice with Leishmania amazonensis-induced cutaneous leishmaniasis were treated intralesionally with NV6 and NV16.
- Efficacy was assessed by measuring lesion size, ulcer area, lesion weight, and parasitic load.
- Amphotericin B served as the positive control.
Main Results:
- Compound NV6 exhibited leishmanicidal activity comparable to amphotericin B.
- NV6 significantly reduced lesion development and parasite load.
- NV16 demonstrated a reduction in ulcer area.
Conclusions:
- NV6 shows significant in vivo antileishmanial activity, supporting further research.
- Future studies should focus on optimizing NV6's pharmacokinetic profile and exploring combination therapies.
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