ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2015
Pathogen- and Host-Directed Antileishmanial Effects Mediated by Polyhexanide (PHMB).
Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- Guanidines: Privileged Scaffolds Against Neglected Tropical Diseases: A Review.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Antiseptic Chitosan-Poly(hexamethylene) Biguanide Hydrogel for the Treatment of Infectious Wounds.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2023Article
- Effect of Local Administration of Meglumine Antimoniate and Polyhexamethylene Biguanide Alone or in Combination with a Toll-like Receptor 4 Agonist for the Treatment of Papular Dermatitis due toPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Antimicrobial activity of polyhexamethylene biguanide nanoparticles against mastitis-causingJDS communications · 2021Article
- Polymeric approach to combat drug-resistant methicillin-resistantJournal of materials science · 2021Review
- The Effects of Polyhexamethylene Biguanide (PHMB) and TLR Agonists Alone or as Polyplex Nanoparticles againstVeterinary sciences · 2020Article
- Antimicrobial Polymers: The Potential Replacement of Existing Antibiotics?International journal of molecular sciences · 2019Review
- Article
- Repurposing as a strategy for the discovery of new anti-leishmanials: the-state-of-the-art.Parasitology · 2018Review
- Targeting the hard to reach: challenges and novel strategies in the treatment of intracellular bacterial infections.British journal of pharmacology · 2017Review
- Bactericidal and Anti-biofilm Effects of Polyhexamethylene Biguanide in Models of Intracellular and Biofilm ofFrontiers in microbiology · 2017Article
- Immunotherapeutic Potential of Eugenol Emulsion in Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2016Article
- Host-directed therapies for infectious diseases: current status, recent progress, and future prospects.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2016Review
- The antimicrobial polymer PHMB enters cells and selectively condenses bacterial chromosomes.Scientific reports · 2016Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected tropical disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. CL causes enormous suffering in many countries worldwide. There is no licensed vaccine against CL, and the chemotherapy options show limited efficacy and high toxicity. Localization of the parasites inside host cells is a barrier to most standard chemo- and immune-based interventions. Hence, novel drugs, which are safe, effective and readily accessible to third-world countries and/or drug delivery technologies for effective CL treatments are desperately needed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL
findingsHere we evaluated the antileishmanial properties and delivery potential of polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB; polyhexanide), a widely used antimicrobial and wound antiseptic, in the Leishmania model. PHMB showed an inherent antileishmanial activity at submicromolar concentrations. Our data revealed that PHMB kills Leishmania major (L. major) via a dual mechanism involving disruption of membrane integrity and selective chromosome condensation and damage. PHMB's DNA binding and host cell entry properties were further exploited to improve the delivery and immunomodulatory activities of unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN). PHMB spontaneously bound CpG ODN, forming stable nanopolyplexes that enhanced uptake of CpG ODN, potentiated antimicrobial killing and reduced host cell toxicity of PHMB.
conclusionsGiven its low cost and long history of safe topical use, PHMB holds promise as a drug for CL therapy and delivery vehicle for nucleic acid immunomodulators.
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