Novel Treatment Approaches to Combat Trichomoniasis, a Neglected and Sexually Transmitted Infection Caused by Trichomonas vaginalis: Translational Perspectives

Graziela Vargas Rigo,Tiana Tasca,Luiza Abrahão Frank,Giulia Bongiorni Galego,André Luis Souza Dos Santos

doi:10.3390/venereology1010005

Abstract

The multistep translational science behind new drugs comprehends the entire process through laboratory, clinical, and community observations turned into health interventions. The development of new drug options from discovering targets and leading compounds in basic research for implementing therapeutic guidelines contributes to the emergence of health policies essential for infection control. This review updates the translational research in the scenario of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection (STI), trichomoniasis. Paradoxically to its high occurrence, it is considered neglected since notification is not mandatory. It turns into a stable disease with health complications, and receives little emphasis from public health programs to control STI. Although related to curable STIs, the current drugs, metronidazole and tinidazole, present therapeutic failures. The need for new options to treat trichomoniasis is established by basic research studies and patents revealing novel synthetic compounds and natural products presenting anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activities, mainly based on in vitro findings. Clinical trials are still focused on new routes of administration for conventional drugs. In addition, nanotechnology approaches are in their infancy, shedding light on potential possibilities for creating more effective, targeted, and safe delivery systems. Overall, the novel proposed approaches need, in addition to pharmaceutical development and efficacy assessments, to ensure that the quality requirements for their use as medicines are met. It is essential to overcome these issues to cross the “Death Valley” of drug discovery and to advance in the translational science criteria in the trichomoniasis drug development field.

Highlights

The science behind new drugs permeates the entire development process, from discovering targets and leading compounds in basic research to implementing therapeutic guidelines and the emergence of health policies. This multistep translational process is an approach of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), from the National Institutes of Health (NIH-USA), performed through laboratory, clinical, and community observations turned into health interventions
The literature analysis obtained from online databases allowed for the compilation The literature analysis obtained from online databases allowed for the compilation of of new approaches for trichomoniasis treatment (2011–2021), involving synthetic new approaches for trichomoniasis treatment (2011–2021), involving synthetic compounds, natural products, and nanotechnology against the parasite T. vaginalis
The major challenge of developing of new trichomonacidal drugs is represented by a drastic reduction in patent production and clinical trials development, restricted to compounds, natural products, and nanotechnology against the parasite T. vaginalis

Summary

Introduction

The science behind new drugs permeates the entire development process, from discovering targets and leading compounds in basic research to implementing therapeutic guidelines and the emergence of health policies This multistep translational process is an approach of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), from the National Institutes of Health (NIH-USA), performed through laboratory, clinical, and community observations turned into health interventions. There is an important gap between fundamental research and the development of medical products, strongly impacting the knowledge creation stage of translational research This is described as “Death Valley”, where some research does not progress to clinical stages, presenting failures to qualify and industrialize as important impeding components [3,4]. In this scenario, neglected and widely disseminated infections present a major challenge in translational research

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