The Role of Macrophages in Leishmaniasis: Current Perspective

Dear Colleagues,

Leishmaniasis is a spectrum of human diseases caused by obligate intracellular protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, transmitted by the bite of an infected female sandfly. Leishmaniasis is prevalent in tropical and subtropical areas. According to WHO estimates, 1.5 to 2 million new cases of leishmaniasis occur every year and are responsible for 70,000 deaths annually. Clinical manifestations range from the localized cutaneous to the visceral form, with potentially fatal outcomes if left untreated. Leishmania has a digenetic life cycle that alternates between two distinct morphological forms: intracellular amastigotes in the mammalian host and motile promastigotes in the sand fly. Macrophages are the final host cells that support the proliferation of Leishmania and play a central role in the pathogenesis of Leishmania infection. Paradoxically, macrophages, a central component of innate immunity, also play an essential role in clearing Leishmania. How Leishmania resides, survives, and proliferates inside the hostile environment of the parasitophorous vacuole of macrophages is a crucial question in host–pathogen interactions and the disease process of leishmaniasis.

During host–Leishmania interaction—an antagonistic relationship— the outcome of disease is directly related to the host's success in overcoming the pathogen or the pathogen's success in overcoming host defence mechanisms. The study of how Leishmania and its virulence factors impact host biology has enhanced our understanding of the host structures and pathways exploited by Leishmania, leading to pathogenesis. Over the years, we have learned about several strategies used by Leishmania to favour their survival and proliferation. Despite the significant progress made in the area of macrophage–Leishmania interactions, leishmaniasis is on the rise. Unfortunately, so far, the use of available drugs is limited because of unacceptable toxicity, side effects, and high costs. No approved vaccine that can confer long-term protection against human leishmaniasis is currently available. A deeper understanding of macrophage–Leishmania interactions is required to develop innovative therapeutic approaches to treat and control leishmaniasis. Moreover, understanding the molecular basis of host–pathogen interactions has the potential to uncover or improve the understanding of fundamental biological processes. For this Special Issue, we invite researchers in leishmaniasis or related research areas to contribute original research articles and review articles related to fundamental and applied research on leishmaniasis. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Role of ncRNAs in leishmaniasis: host and pathogen perspectives;
• Metabolic interactions between macrophages and Leishmania;
• Role of macrophage autophagy in leishmaniasis;
• Macrophage polarization in leishmaniasis;
• The exploitation of macrophage cell signalling by Leishmania;
• Novel molecular players in Leishmania–macrophage interactions;
• Novel approaches to study macrophage–Leishmania interactions;
• Co-infection studies.

Dr. Devki Nandan
Guest Editor

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• Leishmania
• leishmaniasis
• macrophage biology
• host–pathogen interactions