Perceptive solutions to anti-filarial chemotherapy of lymphatic filariasis from the plethora of nanomedical sciences.

INTRODUCTION: Growing interest in the application of nanotechnology to treat lymphatic filariasis (LF) implies that the imminent medical arsenal of this interesting technology is attractive for health authorities. Currently, they are completely dependent on friendly oral mass drug (anti-filarials) administration to eliminate this morbid disease and are now looking for new alternatives to bring about further improvements. AREAS COVERED: A plethora of issues affecting the oral bioavailability of the mainstay human lymphatic filarial drugs, leading to meager pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics issues in anti-filarial chemotherapy are identified. Various important nanomedical drug delivery systems are highlighted and their solutions provided. A conceptual resolution to strictly arrest the transmission of LF in endemic areas is also presented. FUTURE PERSPECTIVES: Unless the solutions for pharmacokinetic tribulations and the measurement of factual pharmacodynamic endpoints for the existing anti-filarial drugs are evaluated using relevant approaches, health authorities will not be able to devise optimal treatment regimens for affected patients. Contemporary therapeutic paradigms need to be shifted toward the upcoming schemes of nanopharmaceutical sciences, which have enormous potential to advance the community-directed management of this tropical disease by improving the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the filaricidal agents.

Adjuvanticity and protective immunity of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis blood-stage soluble antigens encapsulated in fusogenic liposome.

In our previous studies we established fusogenic properties of lipids isolated from edible yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae). We demonstrated that liposomes prepared from S. cerevisiae membrane lipid (saccharosome) can deliver encapsulated antigen into cytosol of the antigen presenting cells and elicit antigen specific cell mediated as well as humoral immune responses. In this study, we evaluated immunological behavior of saccharosome encapsulated cytosolic proteins (sAg) of Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis in BALB/c mice. Immunization with antigen (sAg) encapsulated in saccharosome resulted in enhancement of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations and also up-regulated the expression of CD80 and CD86 molecules on the surface of antigen presenting cells. Further, immunization with saccharosome-encapsulated sAg-induced elevated levels of both IFN-gamma and IL-4 cytokines in the immunized mice when compared to egg PC liposome encapsulated sAg or its IFA emulsified form. Saccharosome-mediated immunization resulted in induction of high level of total antibody response with preponderance of IgG2a isotype as well. The data of this study suggest that saccharosome-based vehicle can emerge as an effective vaccine in imparting protection against various intracellular pathogens including Plasmodium yoelii nigeriensis.