Journal Article Review Ppublish
PubMed: 42750372 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.70493
Peptide-Enabled Nanoplatforms for Malaria and Leishmaniasis: From Intracellular Targeting to Translational Diagnostic Perspectives.
ChemMedChem 21(18):e70493
Authors: Christian S Carnero Canales, Ana Clara Lunardi Yagi, Túlio Custódio Reis, Jessica Ingrid Cazorla, Jade Rojas Villar, Marcia A Graminha, Roxana Yesenia Pastrana Alta, Fernando Rogério Pavan
Affiliations
- BIOMET Laboratorio de Química Bioinorgánica en Medicina, Medioambiente y Tecnología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima, Peru.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil.
- General humanidades, Universidad Continental (UC), Arequipa, Perú.
- School of Pharmacy, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Universidad Católica Santa María (UCSM), Arequipa, Perú.
Abstract
Malaria and leishmaniasis continue to impose a substantial health burden, while current therapeutic and diagnostic strategies remain limited by toxicity, prolonged regimens, drug resistance, and restricted field applicability. This review examines recent advances in peptide-enabled nanoplatforms for both diseases, with emphasis on intracellular targeting, drug delivery, and diagnostic innovation. Antimicrobial peptides, cell-penetrating peptides, peptoids, mimotopes, and peptide-functionalized nanocarriers have been explored to improve parasite targeting, intracellular delivery, pharmacokinetics, and antiparasitic efficacy. In parallel, peptide- and aptamer-based nanosensors have expanded the detection of clinically relevant biomarkers, including HRP2, pLDH, GP63, KMP-11, and kDNA, highlighting their potential for sensitive and modular diagnostics. Despite these advances, translation remains constrained by limited in vivo validation, insufficient pharmacokinetic standardization, incomplete toxicity profiling, poor batch reproducibility, protein corona-associated variability, and scarce validation under field-relevant conditions. Peptide-enabled nanoplatforms are therefore most likely to succeed when aligned with stage-specific parasite biology, realistic host cell-targeting requirements, and scalable implementation pathways in endemic settings.
MeSH
Cell-Penetrating Peptides, Cells, Malaria, Pharmaceutical Preparations, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical, Parasites, Leishmaniasis