New Advancements in the Field of Leishmaniasis, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a continuation of our previous Special Issue, entitled “New Advancements in the Field of Leishmaniasis” (https://www.mdpi.com/si/164376).

Today, an estimated 700,000 to 1 million new cases of Leishmaniasis still occur annually, with a consequently significant disease burden. More than 100 years after the identification of the etiologic agent, protozoan Leishmania parasites (around 20 species associated with human disease to date), the chemotherapy agents available in clinical settings are limited and “outdated”, and there is still no vaccine approved for human use. This is due to socio-geographic reasons—Leishmaniasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease, disproportionally affecting low-income populations—but it does not only affect such groups. We still do not completely understand the determinants of parasite transmission and disease, probably due to the epidemiological complexity recognized regarding vector-borne diseases. There is, consequently, a need not only to better understand individual parasite–vector, vector–host, and host–parasite interfaces in Leishmaniasis but also to integrate them by considering them as a whole.

Thus, this Special Issue will compile studies that describe new advances in the field of Leishmaniasis, focusing either individually on the Leishmania–sand fly or Leishmania–host interfaces (in line with the scope of Microorganisms) or on integrating the vector–host–pathogen triad. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Overall, topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Determinants of vector competence;
• The development of Leishmania parasites in the sandfly midgut;
• The characteristics of the infectious inoculum at the time of transmission;
• Parasite tissue tropism in the host;
• Determinants of infection in asymptomatic versus disease conditions;
• Developments in in vitro and animal models of Leishmaniasis;
• New anti-Leishmania drug targets.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Pedro Cecílio
Dr. Ana Victoria Ibarra-Meneses
Dr. Eva Iniguez
Guest Editors

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• leishmaniasis
• leishmania
• sand flies
• parasite development
• parasite transmission
• parasite tropism
• asymptomatic infection
• determinants of infection/pathogenicity