Diana Paola Peña Burgos, a doctoral candidate in the Biomedical Sciences program in the Department of Basic Sciences at the School of Medicine and affiliated with the Center for Research in Tropical Diseases (CINTROP), completed a doctoral research internship at the Maimónides Institute for Biomedical Research (IMIBIC) in the city of Córdoba, Spain, between June 25 and August 20, 2025.
During the research internship, she worked with the team from IMIBIC’s Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Imaging Unit on the comparative analysis of the metabolomic profile of Leishmania amazonensis sensitive and resistant to miltefosine.
The objective of this study was to compare the metabolomic profiles of Leishmania amazonensis strains that are sensitive and resistant to miltefosine using TIMSTOF mass spectrometry techniques.
Given that the efficacy of drugs such as miltefosine in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis can be affected by factors related to the parasite, metabolomics has proven to be a useful tool in identifying changes associated with the efficacy of other drugs, such as antimonials. However, its role in response to drugs such as miltefosine remains unclear.
The results showed variations in the amount of metabolites produced in the metabolic pathways of lipids, amino acids, and purines, which could be related to the parasite’s mechanisms of evasion against the action of miltefosine.
This research was directed by Dr. Eduardo Chicano and Dr. Ángela Peralbo, with the support of the IMIBIC team and the guidance of thesis advisor Dr. Patricia Escobar.
“It was a truly enriching experience for my doctoral and personal development, as I had the opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge in the application of mass spectrometry-based techniques for proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic studies in samples of different biological origins. In addition, I was able to share with a team that supported me during this learning process and made me feel welcome,” said the student about her experience.
