Caused by Trypanosoma cruzi,
Chagas disease is responsible for public health problems greater in magnitude than those attributed to
malaria,
schistosomiasis, or
leishmaniasis.
A factor in the socioeconomic development of poor countries,
Chagas disease can cause death due to a high parasitic burden during its acute phase due and irreversible damage in organs such as the heart, esophagus, and colon during its chronic phase, even when the number of parasites is minimal. For treating
Chagas disease,
benznidazole (BNZ) remains the
drug of choice and, in Latin America, the only
drug on the market for treating the disease. However, BNZ has exhibited insufficient activity in the chronic phase of
Chagas disease, required administration in large doses, prolonged treatment, and shown a high incidence of adverse reactions (
vomiting,
rash,
peripheral neuropathy, and spinal cord depression), toxicity, and low solubility in water. As an
antidote,
pharmaceutical technologies have been introduced that can improve BNZ's solubility and dissolution, as well as reduce side effects in light of its bioavailability, all of which can enhance
therapy for
Chagas disease. In response to that trend, by conducting a literature review, we sought to identify current
pharmaceutical technologies used in tandem with BNZ to improve
therapy for
Chagas disease. Documented techniques include
emulsion and microemulsion formation, solutions, parenteral formulas, micronization, and drug delivery systems supported by the development of nanoparticles and
cyclodextrins, solid dispersions, and the use of
metal-organic frameworks as innovative
excipients. Such technologies increase the water solubility of BNZ by 4-25-fold on dissolution and an 85% release with efficacy in only a few minutes, as recorded during a viability experiment with nanoparticle
suspensions. That experiment demonstrated the need for a lower concentration of BNZ to kill 50% of trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi, described in terms of the formation of BNZ-
cyclodextrin complexes, and modulating and vectoring of the antichagasic by using
metal-organic frameworks. Altogether, the promising results of research identified can enable strategies to improve solubility and efficacy of BNZ, as well as
therapy for
Chagas disease.