Drug Repurposing in Chagas Disease: Chloroquine Potentiates Benznidazole Activity against Trypanosoma cruzi <i>In Vitro</i> and <i>In Vivo</i>
Ramendra Pati Pandey, Marilda Savóia Nascimento, Caio Haddad Franco, Karina Ramalho Bortoluci, Marcelo Nunes Silva, Bianca Zingales, Daniel Gibaldi, Leda Castaño Barrios, Joseli Lannes‐Vieira, Leonardo Moro Cariste, José Ronnie Vasconcelos, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Lúcio H. Freitas-Júnior, Jorge Kalil, Laura Maria Alcântara, Edécio Cunha‐Neto
Abstract
experiments in an acute murine model showed that the BZN+CQ combination was eight times more effective in reducing T. cruzi infection in the acute phase than BZN monotherapy. In summary, our results demonstrate that the concomitant administration of CQ and BZN potentiates the trypanocidal activity of BZN, leading to a reduction in the dose needed to achieve an effective response. In a translational context, it could represent a higher efficacy of treatment while also mitigating the adverse effects of high doses of BZN. Our study also reinforces the relevance of drug combination and repurposing approaches in the field of Chagas disease drug discovery.