TY - JOUR
T1 - Old antiprotozoal drugs
T2 - Are they still viable options for parasitic infections or new options for other diseases?
AU - Cortez-Maya, Sandra
AU - Moreno-Herrera, Antonio
AU - Palos, Isidro
AU - Rivera, Gildardo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Bentham Science Publishers.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Parasitic diseases, caused by helminths (ascariasis, hookworm, trichinosis, and schistosomiasis) and protozoa (chagas, leishmaniasis, and amebiasis), are considered a serious public health problem in developing countries. Additionally, there is a limited arsenal of anti-parasitic drugs in the current pipeline and growing drug resistance. Therefore, there is a clear need for the discovery and development of new compounds that can compete and replace these drugs that have been controlling parasitic infections over the last decades. However, this approach is highly resource-intensive, expensive and time-consuming. Accordingly, a drug repositioning strategy of the existing drugs or drug-like molecules with known pharmacokinetics and safety profiles is alternatively being used as a fast approach towards the identification of new treatments. The artemisinins, mefloquine, tribendimidine, oxantel pamoate and doxycycline for the treatment of helminths, and posaconazole and hydroxymethylnitrofurazone for the treatment of protozoa are promising candidates. Therefore, traditional antiprotozoal drugs, which were developed in some cases decades ago, are a valid solution. Herein, we review the current status of traditional anti-helminthic and antiprotozoal drugs in terms of drug targets, mode of action, doses, adverse effects, and parasite resistance to define their suitability for repurposing strategies. Current antiparasitic drugs are not only still viable for the treatment of helminth and protozoan infections but are also important candidates for new pharmacological treatments.
AB - Parasitic diseases, caused by helminths (ascariasis, hookworm, trichinosis, and schistosomiasis) and protozoa (chagas, leishmaniasis, and amebiasis), are considered a serious public health problem in developing countries. Additionally, there is a limited arsenal of anti-parasitic drugs in the current pipeline and growing drug resistance. Therefore, there is a clear need for the discovery and development of new compounds that can compete and replace these drugs that have been controlling parasitic infections over the last decades. However, this approach is highly resource-intensive, expensive and time-consuming. Accordingly, a drug repositioning strategy of the existing drugs or drug-like molecules with known pharmacokinetics and safety profiles is alternatively being used as a fast approach towards the identification of new treatments. The artemisinins, mefloquine, tribendimidine, oxantel pamoate and doxycycline for the treatment of helminths, and posaconazole and hydroxymethylnitrofurazone for the treatment of protozoa are promising candidates. Therefore, traditional antiprotozoal drugs, which were developed in some cases decades ago, are a valid solution. Herein, we review the current status of traditional anti-helminthic and antiprotozoal drugs in terms of drug targets, mode of action, doses, adverse effects, and parasite resistance to define their suitability for repurposing strategies. Current antiparasitic drugs are not only still viable for the treatment of helminth and protozoan infections but are also important candidates for new pharmacological treatments.
KW - Design
KW - Drugs
KW - Helminths
KW - Infections
KW - Parasitic diseases
KW - Protozoa
KW - Treatments
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85089613136&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2174/0929867326666190628163633
DO - 10.2174/0929867326666190628163633
M3 - Artículo de revisión
C2 - 31264538
AN - SCOPUS:85089613136
SN - 0929-8673
VL - 27
SP - 5403
EP - 5428
JO - Current Medicinal Chemistry
JF - Current Medicinal Chemistry
IS - 32
ER -