Leishmaniasis Treatment Shows Promise with New Combination Therapy

Researchers in Brazil have made significant progress in finding effective treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease caused by the Leishmania parasite. In a recent study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, a team of scientists led by Dian Carlo Pinheiro Rosa explored the combination of a topical hydrophilic gel of paromomycin with intralesion meglumine antimoniate or systemic administration of liposomal amphotericin B. The results showed that these combinations were more effective in healing lesions than monotherapies, offering a promising alternative for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Key Takeaways:

• The study evaluated the combination of a topical hydrophilic gel of paromomycin with intralesion meglumine antimoniate or systemic administration of liposomal amphotericin B for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis.
• The research involved in vivo studies to evaluate the different therapeutic regimens in monotherapy, including paromomycin, amphotericin B, and meglumine antimoniate.
• Clinical efficacy was evaluated by measuring the size of the lesion and parasitological efficacy by limited dilution assay of the parasite culture.
• The combinations tested were more effective in healing the lesions than the monotherapies, representing a promising alternative for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
• The study was funded by Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social, Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior, and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico.
• Additional authors on the research include Lindicy Leidicy Alves, Mariana Lourenco Freire, Glaucia Fernandes Cota, Ana Rabello, and Eliane de Morais-Teixeira.

Statistics:

• 10 mg/kg was the total dose of amphotericin B used in the study.
• The combinations tested showed a significant reduction in parasite load in the spleen (P < 0.05).
• The study involved in vivo studies to evaluate the different therapeutic regimens in monotherapy.

Sources:

• Efficacy of topical hydrophilic gel of paromomycin combined with systemic or locally administered leishmanicidal drugs for treatment of experimental leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 2025.
• World Disease Weekly. October 21, 2025; p 81.