Miltefosine Efficiently Eliminates Leishmania major Amastigotes from Infected Murine Dendritic Cells without Altering Their Immune Functions▿

ABSTRACT As a treatment for leishmaniasis, miltefosine exerts direct toxic effects on the parasites. Miltefosine also modulates immune cells such as macrophages, leading to parasite elimination via oxidative radicals. Dendritic cells (DC) are critical for initiation of protective immunity against Leishmania through induction of Th1 immunity via interleukin 12 (IL-12). Here, we investigated the effects of miltefosine on DC in Leishmania major infections. When cocultured with miltefosine for 4 days, the majority of in vitro -infected DC were free of parasites. Miltefosine treatment did not influence DC maturation (upregulation of major histocompatibility complex II [MHC II] or costimulatory m…