Novel Strategies in Drug Discovery of Parasitic Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Parasitic diseases remain one of the most pressing global health challenges, particularly affecting populations in tropical and subtropical regions. In addition, climate change is causing the emergence of transmitting vectors in regions where they have never been detected, and the increase in social and economic burden is predicted to be linked to those infections. Despite their high prevalence and attributable health impact, the development of new drugs to fight parasitic diseases is rarely prioritized in pharmaceutics and governmental roadmaps. Current therapeutic options are often limited, present toxicity issues, or face increasing drug resistance, underscoring the urgent need for novel and effective chemotherapeutic strategies. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances and innovative approaches in antiparasitic drug discovery and development. Contributions addressing in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies are welcome, with particular emphasis on

• Identification and validation of new therapeutic targets;
• Design, synthesis, and optimization of antiparasitic compounds;
• Computational modeling and AI-based and structure-guided drug design;
• Natural products and drug repurposing as sources of antiparasitic activity;
• Mechanisms of action of compounds with parasitic activity;
• Mechanistic insight and emergence of parasitic drug resistance.

This Special Issue seeks to promote the discovery of next-generation antiparasitic drugs and to foster collaboration between chemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, and parasitologists.

Prof. Dr. Rafael Balana-Fouce
Dr. Celia Fernández-Rubio
Guest Editors

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