Nanomedicines against Chagas disease: a critical review

MORILLA, MARIA JOSE; GHOSAL, KAJAL; ROMERO, EDER LILIA

Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology

Beilstein-Institut.

Año: 2024 vol. 15 p. 333 - 349

Chagas disease (CD) is the most important endemic parasitosis in South America and represents a great socioeconomic burden forthe chronically ill and their families. The only currently available treatment against CD is based on the oral administration ofbenznidazole, an agent, developed in 1971, of controversial effectiveness on chronically ill patients and toxic to adults. So far,conventional pharmacological approaches have failed to offer more effective and less toxic alternatives to benznidazole. Nanomedicinesreduce toxicity and increase the effectiveness of current oncological therapies. Could nanomedicines improve the treatment ofthe neglected CD? This question will be addressed in this review, first by critically discussing selected reports on the performanceof benznidazole and other molecules formulated as nanomedicines in in vitro and in vivo CD models. Taking into consideration thedevelopmental barriers for nanomedicines and the degree of current technical preclinical efforts, a prospect of developing nanomedicinesagainst CD will be provided. Not surprisingly, we conclude that structurally simpler formulations with minimal productioncost, such as oral nanocrystals and/or parenteral nano-immunostimulants, have the highest chances of making it to the market totreat CD. Nonetheless, substantive political and economic decisions, key to facing technological challenges, are still requiredregarding a realistic use of nanomedicines effective against CD.