Medway school of pharmacy

Novel approaches for the control of Leishmaniasis

August 2007

The protozoan parasite Leishmania causes a variety of diseases that range from a localised skin infection ( cutenaous leishmaniasis) through to a fatal dissemination disease termed visceral leishmaniasis. Although there are treatments for this disease, current drugs are either expensive or have toxic effects on the human host. It is interesting to note that some of the drugs still used to day are nearly 100 years old. More recently there has been a renewed interest in developing new drugs to control these types of infections and there are now several new compounds that are in the process of undergoing clinical trial. In part the drive for some of the new developments has come from the Drugs for Neglected diseases Initiative (http://www.dndi.org).

Why it the control of such disease important?

Well Leishmaniasis is a major problem world wide with an estimated 12 million people infected and 2 million new cases per year. It is found in 88 countries including the middle east, India, south America, Mexico, some southern states of North America and southern Europe.  So in your travels it is possible that you may be exposed to the parasite.

What are we doing in the School of Pharmacy?

Over the past three years with Colleagues at the University of Hull ( Dr Ross Boyle) we have been studying a novel approach for the control of Cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmanisis using Photodynamic therapy. The is a method  that uses light to active drugs that can be applied locally to an infection site. This is a treatment method that is used successfully for the treatment of cancer however the group has been synthesising novel compounds that have a greater specificity for the parasite. Some aspects of the work have been published:

Finally the work we have done to date would not have been possible without the support of  Sir Halley Stewart Trust and the Yorkshire Laser centre