Cholesterol-Driven Optimization of Liposomal Systems for Ivermectin Detoxification

Jader Pires – Student, FarmaTec - Laboratory for RD&I in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery Systems, Samambaia Technology Park, Federal University of Goiás; Karinna Mendanha – Student, Institute of Physics, Federal University of Goiás; Lucas de Sousa – Student, FarmaTec - Laboratory for RD&I in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery Systems, Samambaia Technology Park, Federal University of Goiás; Bianca Fontanezi – Student, FarmaTec - Laboratory for RD&I in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery Systems, Samambaia Technology Park, Federal University of Goiás; Ana Flávia Botelho – Professor, Laboratory of Veterinary Toxicology – School of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Federal University of Goiás; Guilherme Colherinhas – Professor, Institute of Physics, Federal University of Goiás; Sebastião Mendanha – Professor, FarmaTec - Laboratory for RD&I in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery Systems, Samambaia Technology Park, Federal University of Goiás; Eliana Lima – Full Professor, FarmaTec - Laboratory for RD&I in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery Systems, Samambaia Technology Park, Federal University of Goiás

Introduction: Ivermectin (IVM) is a highly lipophilic drug, broadly employed in human and veterinary medicine [1,2], that strongly partitions into lipid membranes [3]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, poison surveillance centers reported a marked increase in cases of ivermectin intoxication, often related to the ingestion of veterinary formulations, resulting even in deaths [4]. With no specific antidote available, current management relies on supportive care. Liposomes stand out as versatile nanocarriers whose bilayer structure enables selective interactions with hydrophobic molecules, raising the possibility of employing them as nanomedicines for detoxification [5].