Nano and Microstructured Delivery Systems for Current Antileishmanial Drugs

Current treatment of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis requires multiple injections with toxic drugs that cause severe adverse effects. Unfavorable pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, together with difficulty in gaining intracellular access, contribute to the lack of adequate therapies. In this context, drug delivery systems based on micro and nanotechnologies have arisen as promising tools to improve drug absorption, bioavailability, chemical and physical stability, and cell targeting. These factors could be particularly useful for leishmaniasis treatment, as they can be endocytosed by macrophages, the host cell of the parasite, sparing sophisticated targeting functionalization. Here, the main advantages, drawbacks, and perspectives in using different particulate delivery systems for a more effective and safer leishmaniasis treatment with the current approved drugs will be discussed.