Application of nanotechnology to improve the antileishmanial efficacy of amphotericin B

Leishmaniasis is a neglected, infectious and non-contagious disease caused by protozoa of the Leishmania genus, generating significant concern in terms of Public Health. The medications currently used present a high toxicity risk and various adverse effects, requiring medical monitoring during treatment. Thus, nanotechnology can be used to encapsulate drugs and improve therapy. Therefore, the main objective of this review is to analyze, through a bibliographical search, nanotechnology use in the development of nanosystems for encapsulating Amphotericin B and improving the treatment of leishmaniasis. In this review, emphasis was placed on nanosystems: polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, polymeric micelles and liposomes. A bibliographic search with a defined time interval was carried out from January 2017 to April 2023 in the MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science databases. In addition, inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select articles to comprise this review. After analyzing the articles, 27 papers were selected, ranging from polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoemulsions and polymeric micelles to liposomes. It was observed that the largest number of articles worked with polymeric nanoparticle and liposome systems. The nanocarriers produced presented differences in relation to their physicochemical characteristics; however, the majority presented sizes in the nanometric range, low polydispersity index, high encapsulation efficiency and sustained and controlled in vitro release. The in vitro and in vivo results showed that these systems were able to increase the therapeutic efficacy of amphotericin, in addition to reducing its toxicity when compared to the free drug and the commercial presentation. Therefore, Amphotericin B encapsulation in nanosystems should be a growing area for the development of new nanomedications and for improving the leishmaniasis therapy.