Chemotherapy of Leishmaniasis: Past, Present and Future

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "Vector-Borne Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1629

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, Campinas 13083-862, Brazil
Interests: leishmaniasis; Leishmania sp.; chemotherapy; treatment failure; drug resistance; drug discovery

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Preclinical Assays and Research of Alternative Sources of Innovative Therapy for Toxoplasmosis and Other Sicknesses (PARASITTOS), Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Básica, Faculdade de Medicina de Jundiaí, Jundiaí 13202-550, Brazil
Interests: leishmaniasis; toxoplasmosis; drug discovery; drug screening; pre-clinical assays

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which may manifest differently depending on the Leishmania species and the immune response of the human host. Only a limited number of chemotherapeutic agents are available for treating this neglected infectious disease, most of which require parenteral administration and may cause serious side effects. The search for new drugs to treat this disease is imperative.

For this Special Issue, we hope to receive original research articles and reviews that focus on current and potential new drugs for leishmaniasis chemotherapy. Additionally, this Special Issue may offer new insights into understanding the mechanisms of action and resistance of current and alternative drugs proposed for the treatment of this parasitic disease.

Dr. Adriano Cappellazzo Coelho
Dr. Juliana Quero Reimão
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chemotherapy
  • leishmaniasis
  • leishmania species
  • drug discovery
  • drug resistance

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

12 pages, 3305 KiB  
Article
Susceptibility of Leishmania amazonensis Axenic Amastigotes to the Calpain Inhibitor MDL28170
by Simone S. C. Oliveira, Fernanda A. Marinho, Leandro S. Sangenito, Sergio H. Seabra, Rubem F. Menna-Barreto, Claudia M. d’Avila, André L. S. Santos and Marta H. Branquinha
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(11), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9110259 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Leishmaniasis encompasses a group of neglected diseases caused by flagellated protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus, associated with high morbidity and mortality. The search for compounds with anti-Leishmania activity that exhibit lower toxicity and can overcome the emergence of resistant strains remains [...] Read more.
Leishmaniasis encompasses a group of neglected diseases caused by flagellated protozoa belonging to the Leishmania genus, associated with high morbidity and mortality. The search for compounds with anti-Leishmania activity that exhibit lower toxicity and can overcome the emergence of resistant strains remains a significant goal. In this context, the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 has previously demonstrated deleterious effects against promastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis, which led us to investigate its role on axenic amastigote forms. The calpain inhibitor MDL28170 was able to decrease the viability of amastigotes in a typically dose-dependent manner. The treatment with the IC50 dose (13.5 μM) for 72 h led to significant amastigote lysis and increased cell-to-cell aggregation. Ultrastructural analysis revealed several cellular alterations, including disruption of the trans-Golgi network and the formation of autophagosomes when treated with MDL28170 at ½ × IC50 dose. Additionally, mitochondrial swelling and the formation of concentric membranous structures inside the mitochondrion were observed after incubation with the IC50 dose. These results reinforce the potential application of the calpain inhibitor MDL28170 against L. amazonensis, highlighting its effectiveness and possible mechanism of action against the parasite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemotherapy of Leishmaniasis: Past, Present and Future)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research

7 pages, 1160 KiB  
Case Report
Imported Cutaneous Leishmaniasis from Peru Caused by Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis in a Brazilian Patient: Case Report and In Vitro Drug Susceptibility Analysis
by Elizabeth M. Coser, Juliana I. Aoki, Cristiele Saborito, Stephane de la Roca, João Paulo T. Brufatto, Rodrigo Angerami, Rafael F. Stelini, Paulo Eduardo N. F. Velho and Adriano C. Coelho
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(11), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9110264 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 526
Abstract
In South America, cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by several species of the parasite of the genus Leishmania. Here, we describe an imported case of cutaneous leishmaniasis acquired in Peru by a Brazilian patient during her travel to Iquitos. Infection by Leishmania parasites [...] Read more.
In South America, cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by several species of the parasite of the genus Leishmania. Here, we describe an imported case of cutaneous leishmaniasis acquired in Peru by a Brazilian patient during her travel to Iquitos. Infection by Leishmania parasites was confirmed by histopathologic examination, and the patient was treated with pentavalent antimony (Pentostam), without clinical response. Molecular typing was performed by sequencing the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer and heat-shock protein 70 gene, which identified the parasites as Leishmania guyanensis. The clinical isolate was similarly susceptible to amphotericin B, pentamidine, and miltefosine as the reference strain, while for pentavalent antimony, this clinical isolate was more susceptible than the reference strain, even though its susceptibility in vitro was still considered low. The patient was then treated with liposomal amphotericin B, with clinical improvement of the lesions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemotherapy of Leishmaniasis: Past, Present and Future)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop