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Sheikh SY, Hassan F, Shukla D, Bala S, Faruqui T, Akhter Y, Khan AR, Nasibullah M. A review on potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Parasitol Int 2024; 100:102863. [PMID: 38272301 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2024.102863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Leishmania, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for the occurrence of leishmaniasis, a disease that is prevalent in tropical regions. Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar in Asian countries, is one of the most significant forms of VL, along with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) and Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis (ML). Management of this condition typically entails the use of chemotherapy as the sole therapeutic option. The current treatments for leishmaniasis present several drawbacks, including a multitude of side effects, prolonged treatment duration, disparate efficacy across different regions, and the emergence of resistance. To address this urgent need, it is imperative to identify alternative treatments that are both safer and more effective. The identification of appropriate pharmacological targets in conjunction with biological pathways constitutes the initial stage of drug discovery. In this review, we have addressed the key metabolic pathways that represent potential pharmacological targets as well as prominent treatment options for leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabahat Yasmeen Sheikh
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, Kursi road, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Firoj Hassan
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, Kursi road, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Deepanjali Shukla
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, Kursi road, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Shashi Bala
- Department of Chemistry, Lucknow University, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Tabrez Faruqui
- Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Yusuf Akhter
- Department of Biotechnology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Vidya Vihar, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India
| | - Abdul Rahman Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, Kursi road, Lucknow 226026, India
| | - Malik Nasibullah
- Department of Chemistry, Integral University, Dasauli, Kursi road, Lucknow 226026, India.
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2
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Abbasi Shiran J, Kaboudin B, Panahi N, Razzaghi-Asl N. Privileged small molecules against neglected tropical diseases: A perspective from structure activity relationships. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 271:116396. [PMID: 38643671 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) comprise diverse infections with more incidence in tropical/sub-tropical areas. In spite of preventive and therapeutic achievements, NTDs are yet serious threats to the public health. Epidemiological reports of world health organization (WHO) indicate that more than 1.5 billion people are afflicted with at least one NTD type. Among NTDs, leishmaniasis, chagas disease (CD) and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) result in substantial morbidity and death, particularly within impoverished countries. The statistical facts call for robust efforts to manage the NTDs. Currently, most of the anti-NTD drugs are engaged with drug resistance, lack of efficient vaccines, limited spectrum of pharmacological effect and adverse reactions. To circumvent the issue, numerous scientific efforts have been directed to the synthesis and pharmacological development of chemical compounds as anti-infectious agents. A survey of the anti-NTD agents reveals that the majority of them possess privileged nitrogen, sulfur and oxygen-based heterocyclic structures. In this review, recent achievements in anti-infective small molecules against parasitic NTDs are described, particularly from the SAR (Structure activity relationship) perspective. We also explore current advocating strategies to extend the scope of anti-NTD agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Abbasi Shiran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, PO Code: 5618953141, Iran
| | - B Kaboudin
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran
| | - N Panahi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - N Razzaghi-Asl
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, PO Code: 5618953141, Iran; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
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Woodcock MR, Powers K, Snead K, Pellettieri J. Flatworm Transcriptomes Reveal Widespread Parasitism by Histophagous Ciliates. Genome Biol Evol 2024; 16:evae007. [PMID: 38242711 PMCID: PMC10837001 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evae007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Unicellular ciliates like Tetrahymena are best known as free-living bacteriovores, but many species are facultative or obligate parasites. These "histophages" feed on the tissues of hosts ranging from planarian flatworms to commercially important fish and the larvae of imperiled freshwater mussels. Here, we developed a novel bioinformatics pipeline incorporating the nonstandard ciliate genetic code and used it to search for Ciliophora sequences in 34 publicly available Platyhelminthes EST libraries. From 2,615,036 screened ESTs, we identified nearly 6,000 high-confidence ciliate transcripts, supporting parasitism of seven additional flatworm species. We also cultured and identified Tetrahymena from nine terrestrial and freshwater planarians, including invasive earthworm predators from the genus Bipalium and the widely studied regeneration models Dugesia japonica and Schmidtea mediterranea. A co-phylogenetic reconstruction provides strong evidence for the coevolution of histophagous Ciliophora with their Platyhelminthes hosts. We further report the antiprotozoal aminoglycoside paromomycin expels Tetrahymena from S. mediterranea, providing new opportunities to investigate the effects of this relationship on planarian biology. Together, our findings raise the possibility that invasive flatworms constitute a novel dispersal mechanism for Tetrahymena parasites and position the Platyhelminthes as an ideal model phylum for studying the ecology and evolution of histophagous ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ryan Woodcock
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
- Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Natural Science, Trocaire College, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaleigh Powers
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - Kirsten Snead
- Department of Science, Mathematics and Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Woodcock MR, Powers K, Snead K, Pellettieri J. FLATWORM TRANSCRIPTOMES REVEAL WIDESPREAD PARASITISM BY HISTOPHAGOUS CILIATES. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.17.558123. [PMID: 37745455 PMCID: PMC10516030 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.17.558123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Unicellular ciliates like Tetrahymena are best known as free-living bacteriovores, but many species are facultative or obligate parasites. These 'histophages' feed on the tissues of hosts ranging from planarian flatworms to commercially important fish and the larvae of imperiled freshwater mussels. Here, we developed a novel bioinformatics pipeline incorporating the nonstandard ciliate genetic code and used it to search for Ciliophora sequences in 34 publicly available Platyhelminthes EST libraries. From 2,615,036 screened ESTs, we identified nearly 6,000 high-confidence ciliate transcripts, supporting parasitism of seven additional flatworm species. We also cultured and identified Tetrahymena from nine terrestrial and freshwater planarians, including invasive earthworm predators from the genus Bipalium and the widely studied regeneration models Dugesia japonica and Schmidtea mediterranea. A cophylogenetic reconstruction provides strong evidence for coevolution of histophagous Ciliophora with their Platyhelminthes hosts. We further report the antiprotozoal aminoglycoside paromomycin expels Tetrahymena from S. mediterranea, providing new opportunities to investigate the effects of this relationship on planarian biology. Together, our findings raise the possibility that invasive flatworms constitute a novel dispersal mechanism for Tetrahymena parasites and position the Platyhelminthes as an ideal model phylum for studying the ecology and evolution of histophagous ciliates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Ryan Woodcock
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
- Department of Science, Mathematics & Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Natural Science, Trocaire College, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaleigh Powers
- Department of Biology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - Kirsten Snead
- Department of Science, Mathematics & Technology, Medaille University, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Henriquez-Figuereo A, Alcon M, Moreno E, Sanmartín C, Espuelas S, Lucio HD, Jiménez-Ruiz A, Plano D. Next generation of selenocyanate and diselenides with upgraded leishmanicidal activity. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106624. [PMID: 37295238 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, leishmaniasis is still treated with outdated drugs that present several obstacles related to their high toxicity, long duration, parenteral administration, high costs and drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent demand for safer and more effective novel drugs. Previous studies indicated that selenium compounds are promising derivatives for innovative therapy in leishmaniasis treatment. With this background, a new library of 20 selenocyanate and diselenide derivatives were designed based on structural features present in the leishmanicidal drug miltefosine. Compounds were initially screened against promastigotes of L. major and L. infantum and their cytotoxicity was evaluated in THP-1 cells. Compounds B8 and B9 were the most potent and less cytotoxic and were further screened for the intracellular back transformation assay. The results obtained revealed that B8 and B9 showed EC50 values of 7.7 µM and 5.7 µM, respectively, in L. major amastigotes, while they presented values of 6.0 µM and 7.4 µM, respectively, against L. infantum amastigotes. Furthermore, they exerted high selectivity (60 < SI > 70) towards bone marrow-derived macrophages. Finally, these compounds exhibited higher TryR inhibitory activity than mepacrine (IC50 7.6 and 9.2 µM, respectively), and induced nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in macrophages. These results suggest that the compounds B8 and B9 could not only exert a direct leishmanicidal activity against the parasite but also present an indirect action by activating the microbicidal arsenal of the macrophage. Overall, these new generation of diselenides could constitute promising leishmanicidal drug candidates for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreina Henriquez-Figuereo
- University of Navarra, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Pamplona, Spain; Institute of Tropical Health, University of Navarra, ISTUN, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Mercedes Alcon
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther Moreno
- University of Navarra, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Pamplona, Spain; Institute of Tropical Health, University of Navarra, ISTUN, Pamplona, Spain; IdisNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Carmen Sanmartín
- University of Navarra, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Pamplona, Spain; Institute of Tropical Health, University of Navarra, ISTUN, Pamplona, Spain; IdisNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Socorro Espuelas
- University of Navarra, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Pamplona, Spain; Institute of Tropical Health, University of Navarra, ISTUN, Pamplona, Spain; IdisNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Héctor de Lucio
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Jiménez-Ruiz
- Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Biología de Sistemas, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Plano
- University of Navarra, Faculty of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemistry, Pamplona, Spain; Institute of Tropical Health, University of Navarra, ISTUN, Pamplona, Spain; IdisNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
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Gonçalves-Oliveira LF, Peixoto JF, Dias-Lopes G, Souza da Silva F, Côrtes LMDC, Rocha HVA, Alves CR. Assessing nystatin cream treatment efficacy against Leishmania (L.) amazonensis infection in BALB/c model. Exp Parasitol 2023; 250:108547. [PMID: 37196701 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The current scenario for cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment includes the use of first and second-choice drugs, both therapeutic strategies presenting several adverse effects and being related to an increment of treatment-refractory parasite strains. These facts encourage the search for new treatment approaches, including repositioning drugs, such as nystatin. Although some in vitro assays show that this polyene macrolide compound has leishmanicidal activity, no in vivo evidence for a similar activity has been shown so far for the commercial nystatin cream formulation (25,000 IU/g). This work assessed the effects of nystatin cream administered on mice in an amount to completely cover the paw surface of BALB/c mice infected with L. (L.) amazonensis once a day, until a total of up to 20 doses. The data presented herein points to unequivocal evidence that this formulation is related to a statistically significant reduction of swelling/edema in mice paws when compared to animal groups not submitted to this treatment regimen after the fourth week of infection: lesion sizes at the sixth (p = 0.0159), seventh (p = 0.0079) and eighth (p = 0.0079) week. Furthermore, infection reduction relates to a decrease in parasite load in the footpad (∼48%) and in draining lymph nodes (∼68%) at 8th weeks post-infection. This is the first report of the effectiveness of nystatin cream used as a topical treatment in BALB/c model for cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Filipe Gonçalves-Oliveira
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Avenida Brasil, 4365, CEP, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Juliana Figueiredo Peixoto
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Avenida Brasil, 4365, CEP, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Geovane Dias-Lopes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Avenida Brasil, 4365, CEP, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Franklin Souza da Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Avenida Brasil, 4365, CEP, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Universidade Iguaçu, Avenida Abílio Augusto Távora, 2134, CEP, 26260-045, Dom Rodrigo, Nova Iguaçu, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luzia Monteiro de Castro Côrtes
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Avenida Brasil, 4365, CEP, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Helvécio Vinícius Antunes Rocha
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos, Farmanguinhos, Laboratório de Micro e Nanotecnologia, Avenida Brasil, 4036, CEP, 21040-361, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos Roberto Alves
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Doenças Endêmicas, Avenida Brasil, 4365, CEP, 21040-900, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Majumder N, Banerjee A, Saha S. A review on new natural and synthetic anti-leishmanial chemotherapeutic agents and current perspective of treatment approaches. Acta Trop 2023; 240:106846. [PMID: 36720335 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniases are considered among the most neglected yet dangerous parasitic diseases worldwide. According to the recent WHO report (Weekly Epidemiological Record, Sep, 2021), 200 countries and territories reported leishmanises cases in 2020; of which 89 (45%) for CL, and 79 (40%) for VL were endemic. Indian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh and Nepal), one of the three eco-epidemiological hotspots of VL, currently reported 18% of the total cases of VL worldwide. Eastern Mediterranean region and the Region of the Americas together reported >90% of the new CL cases, of which >80% were from Afghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Colombia, Iraq, Pakistan and the Syrian Arab Republic. While considering the current therapeutic options, conventional anti-leishmanial drugs have long been proved to be toxic and/or expensive and have resulted in extensive drug resistance in India. Recent searches for novel anti-leishmanial drugs have led to find out the prime cellular targets and metabolic pathways to bridge the gap between the known facts and unexplored data. Cutting edge knowledge based drug designing has simplified the search for novel molecules with leishmanicidal efficacy by identifying ligand-receptor interactions and has accelerated the cost effective primary discovery of molecules through computational validation against Leishmaniases. This review focuses on the limitations of conventional drugs, and discusses the chemotherapeutic potential of many novel natural and synthetic anti-leishmanial agents reported since the last decade. It is also interpreted that some of the reported molecules might be tested singly or as a part of combinatorial therapy on pre-clinical and clinical level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilanjana Majumder
- Department of Biotechnology, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, 731235 West Bengal, India
| | - Antara Banerjee
- Department of Zoology, Bangabasi College, 19 Rajkumar Chakraborty Sarani, Kolkata, 700009 West Bengal, India
| | - Samiran Saha
- Department of Biotechnology, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, 731235 West Bengal, India.
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Seismic Safety Design and Analysis of Hydraulic Sluice Chamber Structure Based on Finite Element Method. COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2022:6183588. [PMID: 36156943 PMCID: PMC9507687 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6183588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
One of the important links in the safety evaluation of sluices is the aseismic safety examination. In order to ensure the daily safe operation of sluices, it is necessary to conduct a normalized aseismic safety examination of sluices, and it is also necessary to study the aseismic safety examination of return sluices. Based on the application of ADINA finite element analysis software, a three-dimensional finite element model of the gate chamber structure is established, and the seismic response of the gate chamber structure is calculated and analyzed by the mode decomposition response spectrum method. The seismic safety of the gate chamber structure is evaluated comprehensively. The results show that 2.00 MPa of tension stress is generated at the junction of the pier and the gate. According to the structural mechanical method, the maximum tensile stress that can be endured is 4.41 MPa, which meets the safety requirements. There is a large tension stress zone between the elevator floor and some parts of the elevator, which far exceeds the standard tension strength value of the concrete moving shaft. Considering the safety, corresponding aseismic reinforcement measures should be taken. The structure of the gate chamber is nonslip and stable, and the safety factor is larger than the standard value of the Gate Design Specification (SL265-2016), which meets the safety requirements. The aseismic safety of the gate chamber structure meets the requirements of the “Standard for Seismic Design of Water Conservancy Buildings” (GB5127-2018), but it has safety defects and the aseismic grade is B.
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Tuon FF, Dantas LR, de Souza RM, Ribeiro VST, Amato VS. Liposomal drug delivery systems for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:3073-3082. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07659-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Wijnant GJ, Dumetz F, Dirkx L, Bulté D, Cuypers B, Van Bocxlaer K, Hendrickx S. Tackling Drug Resistance and Other Causes of Treatment Failure in Leishmaniasis. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.837460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a tropical infectious disease caused by the protozoan Leishmania parasite. The disease is transmitted by female sand flies and, depending on the infecting parasite species, causes either cutaneous (stigmatizing skin lesions), mucocutaneous (destruction of mucous membranes of nose, mouth and throat) or visceral disease (a potentially fatal infection of liver, spleen and bone marrow). Although more than 1 million new cases occur annually, chemotherapeutic options are limited and their efficacy is jeopardized by increasing treatment failure rates and growing drug resistance. To delay the emergence of resistance to existing and new drugs, elucidating the currently unknown causes of variable drug efficacy (related to parasite susceptibility, host immunity and drug pharmacokinetics) and improved use of genotypic and phenotypic tools to define, measure and monitor resistance in the field are critical. This review highlights recent progress in our understanding of drug action and resistance in Leishmania, ongoing challenges (including setbacks related to the COVID-19 pandemic) and provides an overview of possible strategies to tackle this public health challenge.
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