One Health Drugs Against Vector-Borne Parasitic Diseases—a Sustainable Chemical/Biological Approach
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 50
Special Issue Editors
Interests: heterocyclic chemistry; medicinal chemistry; antifungal and antiparasitic agents; kinase inhibitors; resistance; Leishmania; Chagas disease
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: parasitology; Leishmania; antiparasitic drugs; in vitro/in vivo models; amoeba; emerging parasitic diseases
Interests: protein biochemistry; protein-ligand interactions; structural biology; Leishmania; antiparasitic drugs; insect chemoreceptors
Interests: biosafety; One Health approach; veterinary microbiology; virology; molecular diagnostics; biotechnology
Interests: host-pathogen interactions; microbiome-host-pathogen interactions; parasitology; microbiology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Vector-borne parasitic diseases continue to pose a significant threat to human and animal health worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. This problem requires consolidation on intersectorial and multisectorial levels under One Health approach including public health, veterinary medicine and ecological/biological scientific and practical community. These diseases, including malaria, leishmaniasis, filariasis, and trypanosomiasis, and many others are intricately linked to ecological changes, animal reservoirs, and the complex dynamics of vector populations. In the context of the One Health framework—which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health—there is a pressing need for integrated, sustainable strategies to combat parasitic diseases, including development of new drugs against biological agents and their vectors, its potency, efficacy and safety considerations.
This special issue aims to bring together original research, reviews, and perspectives on the development of novel chemical and biological therapeutics targeting vector-borne parasitic pathogens. Contributions will explore innovative drug discovery pipelines, repurposing of existing compounds, bioactive natural products, and synthetic molecules with antiparasitic activity. We also highlight advances in host-targeted therapies, parasite resistance mechanisms, and integrated vector control strategies.
By uniting chemical biology, parasitology, pharmacology, and One Health sciences, this issue seeks to inspire collaborative, cross-sectoral solutions to mitigate the burden of parasitic diseases in an increasingly interconnected world
The main baselines of our issue would be:
- One Health Framework against vector-borne parasitic diseases
- Integration of human, animal, and environmental health in parasitic disease control.
- Role of zoonotic cycles and animal reservoirs in disease persistence.
- Socio-ecological drivers of vector-borne parasitic diseases.
- Chemical and Biological Therapeutic Discovery
- Screening of natural products, synthetic compounds, and marine/plant-derived agents.
- Drug repurposing and repositioning strategies.
- Development of multi-targeted or host-directed therapies.
- Novel delivery systems (e.g., nanocarriers, injectable depots).
- Vector and Transmission Control
- Drugs with transmission-blocking potential (e.g., for Plasmodium, Leishmania, Trypanosoma).
- Approaches targeting vector microbiomes or vector–parasite interactions.
- Synergistic strategies combining chemotherapeutics and vector control.
- Resistance and Sustainability
- Surveillance and molecular mechanisms of drug resistance in parasites and vectors.
- Sustainable use of antiparasitic drugs in livestock to minimize environmental impact.
- Eco-toxicological profiles and bioaccumulation of drug residues.
Prof. Dr. Pascal Marchand
Dr. Sébastien Pomel
Dr. Katerina Tsitsanou
Prof. Dr. Anton Gerilovych
Dr. Slavica Vaselek
Dr. Gülsah Bayraktar
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- vector-borne diseases
- parasitic diseases
- antiparasitic drugs
- transmission-blocking drugs
- chemotherapy
- drug resistance
- drug repurposing
- pharmacokinetics
- natural products
- organic production
- host-directed therapy
- combination therapy
- in vitro/in vivo models
- drug delivery systems
- nanomedicine
- pharmacodynamics
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