Therapeutics Targeting Pathogenic Mechanisms of Leishmaniasis
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editor
Interests: leishmaniasis; host–parasite interactions; pathogenicity; biotechnology; molecular science; vaccine formats; light-activated pesticides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Leishmaniasis, caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus, remains a major global health burden, affecting millions in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. This is one of the greatly neglected diseases with clinical manifestation in cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral forms. Current treatment options are limited by drug toxicity, high cost, and increasing resistance. A deeper understanding of Leishmania's pathogenic mechanisms—including immune evasion strategies, metabolic adaptations, and intricate vector-host–parasite interactions—is essential for developing next-generation therapeutics.
This Special Issue welcomes the submission of high-quality original research, reviews, and short communications on pioneering therapeutic approaches that target the vector sand fly or unique parasite pathways or host-derived pathogenic immune responses, utilizing in vitro, ex vivo, or in vivo models. Of particular interest will be the exploration of human-specific infection and disease mechanisms by using organoid models based on recent advances in human pluripotent stem cell technology. We encourage submissions on the AI-assisted development of therapeutics, especially pre-clinical research on human subjects or human organoid models, including model development for individualized or precision medicine of infectious diseases. This Special Issue aims to effectively improve the treatment of leishmaniasis by summarizing important contributions from the past and present and exploring future innovative research to link basic science with clinical applications.
Prof. Dr. Kwang Poo Chang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- leishmaniasis
- host–parasite interactions
- pathogenicity
- precision medicine
- AI-assisted development of therapeutics
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