Development of Novel Pharmaceuticals for the Treatment of Parasitic Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Parasitic infections such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, among others, remain a major public health problem causing substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide. Antiparasitic drugs are available, but they are not ideal and present major disadvantages. Furthermore, there is a real concern regarding the development of drug resistance (e.g., primaquine for malaria). Few novel antiparasitic drugs have emerged in recent decades, and the discovery and development of novel antiparasitic drugs are urgently needed. Strategies such as combinations of existing drugs, improvements to known drugs, de novo discovery, and/or the exploration of natural bioactive compounds, among others, should be explored to improve the treatment of parasitic infections and prevent the development of drug resistance.

This Special Issue aims to discuss the strategies for the discovery and development of novel treatments for parasitic diseases. The design and synthesis of novel drugs or drug derivatives and their antiparasitic activities, structure–activity relationships (SARs), the use of bioinformatics tools (or others) for the discovery of potential drugs, and natural compounds as sources of antiparasitic drugs will be addressed here. Colleagues are invited to submit original research papers, communications, or review articles to this Special Issue.

Dr. Maria João Castro Gouveia
Guest Editor

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