APR 25, 2014
A miltefosine–polyhexamethylene biguanide combination was found to be highly effective in a rat model of Acanthamoeba keratitis.
The authors write that current therapeutic regimens for Acanthamoeba keratitis rely mainly on topical applications of antimicrobial agents, but the emergence of drug-resistant strains and the recurrence of dormant infectious forms underscore the need for more effective treatments.
To this end, they tested various combinations of miltefosine, polyhexamethylene biguanide, chlorhexidine and propamidine isethionate in rats infected with Acanthamoeba keratitis.
The miltefosine–polyhexamethylene biguanide combination yielded the highest anti-acanthamoebal activity, with 86 percent of eyes cleared from amoebae. The cytotoxicity values of the miltefosine and control groups were compared with other groups and found to be statistically different (P < 0.05).
They conclude that further investigations employing animal models with larger sample sizes and volunteer patient groups are warranted.