{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]],"date-time":"2026-01-18T04:02:45Z","timestamp":1768708965095,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]],"date-time":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1691020800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Institute of Tropical Health of University of Navarra (ISTUN)"},{"name":"Caixa Foundation"},{"name":"Roviralta and Ubesol, Spain"},{"name":"University of Navarra (ISTUN)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This work describes the design, synthesis, and biological activities of new selenoester derivatives and its homologs thioesters. Thirty-two compounds were developed following an economical synthetic route, achieving small molecules, with structural characteristics similar to those present in antileishmanial drugs such as miltefosine (MIL) and paromomycin (PMN). These compounds were tested in vitro against strains of Leishmania major (L. major) and Leishmania infantum (L. infantum). The L. infantum strain (causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis) exhibited the highest sensitivity. Thus, four selanylacetic acid derivatives (A4, A5, A6 and A8) presented IC50 values below 40 \u00b5M in this strain. These derivatives also demonstrated low toxicity and high selectivity in PMA-differentiated THP-1 macrophages. The A4\u2013A6 and A8 derivatives were evaluated in order to determine their pharmacological behavior, using drug combination studies with the reference drugs amphotericin B (AMB), MIL and PMN. Compounds A6 and A8 presented a potent synergistic interaction with MIL, which is the only oral drug available for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. Therefore, compounds A6 and A8 present significant potential as therapeutic candidates for the treatment of leishmaniasis based on their remarkable leishmanicidal characteristics and pharmacological synergism.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/molecules28155845","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]],"date-time":"2023-08-03T11:23:03Z","timestamp":1691061783000},"page":"5845","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Exploring Novel Drug Combinations: The Therapeutic Potential of Selanyl Derivatives for Leishmania Treatment"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"28","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8660-4996","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andreina","family":"Henriquez-Figuereo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Institute of Tropical Health (ISTUN), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8446-4608","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Esther","family":"Moreno","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Institute of Tropical Health (ISTUN), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdisNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3431-7826","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carmen","family":"Sanmartin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Institute of Tropical Health (ISTUN), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdisNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8266-0445","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel","family":"Plano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Institute of Tropical Health (ISTUN), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain"},{"name":"Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdisNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Akhoundi, M., Kuhls, K., Cannet, A., Vot\u00fdpka, J., Marty, P., Delaunay, P., and Sereno, D. 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