Innovative Anti-Toxoplasma Strategies: Pharmacology and Drug Development
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 200
Special Issue Editor
Interests: parasites; synthesis; natural products; Toxoplasma gondii
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
1) Introduction
Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed apicomplexan parasite capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals, with seroprevalence in human populations ranging from 10% to 80%. While infection is typically asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, it can cause severe and life-threatening disease in immunocompromised patients and congenital toxoplasmosis, leading to devastating ocular and neurological sequelae in newborns. The current first-line therapy, a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, is associated with significant hematological toxicity and hypersensitivity reactions. Furthermore, these drugs are ineffective against the chronic, encysted bradyzoite form of the parasite, which persists for the life of the host and can reactivate. The urgent need for safer, more effective, and tissue–cyst-penetrating therapeutics underpins the critical importance of this research area. We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue dedicated to advancing the field of anti-Toxoplasma drug discovery.
2) Aim of the Special Issue
This Special Issue aims to collate cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews on the discovery, development, and mechanistic characterization of novel therapeutic strategies against Toxoplasma gondii. It will serve as a platform to highlight advances in pharmacological targeting of unique parasite processes, immune-mediated clearance, and host-directed therapies. The scope is squarely aligned with the journal's focus on pathogen biology, host-pathogen interactions, and the development of novel anti-infective strategies. By bringing together diverse contributions, this Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerate the pipeline from basic research to clinical application, ultimately addressing the critical gaps in current toxoplasmosis management.
3) Suggested Themes and Article Types
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Discovery and validation of novel drug targets in gondii;
- High-throughput screening and design of new anti-Toxoplasma compounds;
- Drug repurposing and combination therapy strategies;
- Mechanisms of drug action and resistance;
- Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of lead compounds;
- Development of models for assessing efficacy against chronic infection;
- Nanotechnology and advanced drug delivery systems for anti-parasitic agents;
- Host-directed therapies and immunomodulatory approaches.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Chunmei Jin
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.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 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
- Toxoplasma gondii
- drug discovery
- pharmacology
- antiparasitic agents
- drug repurposing
- novel therapeutics
- toxoplasmosis
- pharmacokinetics
- drug resistance
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