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Chemical Compounds or Agents Against Parasites, Bacteria, and Neglected Tropical Diseases

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 662

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Medical Research Centre, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, Essen, Germany
Interests: post-translational modifications; drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases; cAMP-regulated pathways in apicomplexan parasites and kinetoplastids
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Resistance against parasites and bacteria is a major worldwide health problem. The investigation into small-molecule targets holds significant implications for pharmacological discovery. To mitigate the emerging burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) caused by either parasites or bacteria, novel drug entities targeting new targets in protozoa or bacteria are necessary. In this Specia Issue, we focus on chemical compounds which significantly inhibit the growth of parasites and bacteria in vitro and in vivo. Submissions discussing their mode of action are encouraged. Alternatively, studies discussing repurposed drugs that affect novel targets and chemical compounds with off-label use are also encouraged in this Special Issue.

This Special Issue will showcase studies regarding chemical compounds and novel strategies for tackling the resistance problem of parasites and bacteria that cause neglected tropical diseases.

Prof. Dr. Annette Kaiser
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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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

  • chemical compounds
  • resistance
  • NTDs
  • targets

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 1264 KB  
Article
Biological Effects of Novel Synthetic Guanidine Derivatives Targeting Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis
by Geovane Dias-Lopes, Luana Ribeiro Dos Anjos, Sara Maria Xavier da Cruz, Cauã Dias Abrão, Maria Eduarda Pinto Gonçalves, Franklin Souza-Silva, Anna Fabisikova, Eduardo Rene Perez González and Carlos Roberto Alves
Molecules 2026, 31(4), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31040629 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 332
Abstract
Leishmaniasis remains an important neglected tropical disease, and current treatments are limited by toxicity, resistance, and low bioavailability. In this study, novel guanidine derivatives were evaluated through an integrated approach, combining in silico physicochemical profiling with in vitro biological assays using Leishmania (Viannia) [...] Read more.
Leishmaniasis remains an important neglected tropical disease, and current treatments are limited by toxicity, resistance, and low bioavailability. In this study, novel guanidine derivatives were evaluated through an integrated approach, combining in silico physicochemical profiling with in vitro biological assays using Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis, the etiological agent of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL). Most compounds exhibited favorable drug-like properties, though variations in lipophilicity and solubility influenced biological performance. Among the tested molecules, FURL-G5 emerged as the most promising candidate, showing potent activity against promastigote forms and low cytotoxicity in murine macrophages, resulting in high selectivity indices (SI > 10), comparable to those of LQOF-G1, a compound with previously established leishmanicidal effects. These compounds were also tested on intracellular amastigotes, drastically reducing the infection rate of macrophages. The integration of an in silico approach and biological validation enabled rational compound prioritization and supports the early-stage development of these scaffolds. Overall, this study reinforces the potential of guanidine-based compounds as leads for innovative ATL drug discovery and demonstrates the value of multidisciplinary strategies for identifying selective and safe therapeutic candidates. Full article
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