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Pathogens
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Leishmania & Leishmaniasis
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Leishmania & Leishmaniasis

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2163

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-360, Brazil
Interests: leishmaniasis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Liliane de Fátima Antonio Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: leishmaniasis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Leishmaniasis is caused by more than 20 species of protozoa of the genus Leishmania. More than 90 species of sandflies are known to transmit the parasite. Around 70 animal species can be a source of transmission, including humans. Different presentations of leishmaniasis are endemic in several regions around the world. The disease manifests itself in three main forms: A) Cutaneous leishmaniasis causes lesions in the skin. About 95% of cases occur in the Americas, Mediterranean basin, Middle East, and Central Asia, with an estimated 600,000–1,000,000 new cases per year occurring around the world. B) Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis affects mainly mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat. More than 90% of cases occur in Bolivia, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Peru. C) Visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) affects the organs of the hematopoietic system (bone marrow, spleen, lymph nodes) and liver. When untreated, the lethality of visceral leishmaniasis reaches 95%; every year, 50,000–90,000 cases occur worldwide. These diseases have undergone relevant modifications over time related to climate change, deforestation, human and animal migration, living conditions, and wars. Important topics are related to their treatment. This Special Issue of Pathogens is dedicated to the various presentations of leishmaniasis and its respective etiological agents. We hope the studies included in this Special Issue will broaden and deepen our understanding of these diseases and the involved Leishmania species. As Guest Editors of this Special Issue, we invite you to submit research articles, review articles, and short communications related to the various forms of leishmaniasis and their respective agents, bringing new insights into these important diseases.

Dr. Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel
Dr. Liliane de Fátima Antonio Oliveira
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • leishmaniasis
  • visceral leishmaniasis
  • cutaneous leishmaniasis
  • mucosal leishmaniasis
  • mucocutaneous leishmaniasis
  • human visceral leishmaniasis
  • canine visceral leishmaniasis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1303 KB  
Article
Extracellular Vesicle Release from Immune Cells in Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Modulation by Leishmania (V.) braziliensis and Reversal by Antimonial Therapy
by Vanessa Fernandes de Abreu Costa, Thaize Quiroga Chometon, Katherine Kelda Gomes de Castro, Melissa Silva Gonçalves Ponte, Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel, Marcelo Rosandiski Lyra, Rienk Nieuwland and Alvaro Luiz Bertho
Pathogens 2025, 14(8), 771; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080771 - 4 Aug 2025
Viewed by 789
Abstract
Human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is a complex parasitic disease marked by dynamic host–parasite interactions and immunomodulation. Extracellular vesicles (EV) derived from immune cells have emerged as key mediators of intercellular communication and potential biomarkers in infectious diseases. In [...] Read more.
Human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is a complex parasitic disease marked by dynamic host–parasite interactions and immunomodulation. Extracellular vesicles (EV) derived from immune cells have emerged as key mediators of intercellular communication and potential biomarkers in infectious diseases. In this study, we combined a modified lymphocyte proliferation assay with nano-flow cytometry to quantify and phenotype EV released by CD4+, CD8+, and CD14+ cells in PBMC cultures from CL patients at different clinical stages: before treatment (PBT), during treatment (PDT), and post-treatment (PET) with antimonial. Healthy individuals (HI) were included as physiological controls. Upon stimulation with L. (V.) braziliensis antigens, we observed a distinct modulation of EV subsets. In the PBT group, CD4+ and CD14+ EV were significantly reduced, while CD8+ EV remained elevated. During PDT and PET, EV concentrations were restored across all subsets. These findings suggest that L. (V.) braziliensis selectively modulates the release of immune cell–derived EV, possibly as an immune evasion mechanism. The restoration of EV release following antimonial therapy highlights their potential as sensitive biomarkers for disease activity and treatment monitoring. This study offers novel insights into the immunoregulatory roles of EV in CL and underscores their relevance in host–parasite interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania & Leishmaniasis)
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Review

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19 pages, 317 KB  
Review
Overview of Commercial Vaccines Against Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis: Current Landscape and Future Directions
by Josiane Aparecida Martiniano de Pádua, Diego Ribeiro, Victor Freire Ferreira de Aguilar, Tuane Ferreira Melo, Lilian Lacerda Bueno, Ana Laura Grossi de Oliveira, Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara and Kelly Moura Keller
Pathogens 2025, 14(10), 970; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14100970 - 25 Sep 2025
Viewed by 478
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis commonly caused in Brazil by the parasite Leishmania infantum. This protozoan parasite can infect several species of mammals, with dogs being the main reservoir in urban areas. Several methods are used to prevent the disease, including collars [...] Read more.
Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis commonly caused in Brazil by the parasite Leishmania infantum. This protozoan parasite can infect several species of mammals, with dogs being the main reservoir in urban areas. Several methods are used to prevent the disease, including collars impregnated with 4% deltamethrin to prevent contact between the sandfly and the animal, and vaccines. Vaccines aim to stimulate an immune response that can effectively fight the parasite, with the Th1 immune response being the most desired. There are several research groups around the world dedicated to testing new immunogens against Leishmania spp. and there are currently two commercially available vaccines used to prevent the disease, Neoleish® and Leti-Fend®. Leish-Tec®, a vaccine previously licensed for use in dogs in Brazil, was suspended in May 2023 due to non-compliance in some batches. This also happened with CaniLeish®, which was discontinued by the European Commission in October 2023. These vaccines have different characteristics that influence their use as a public health measure, and therefore the objective of this review is to describe these immunogens, their characteristics, and their use as a collective prevention measure for canine visceral leishmaniasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania & Leishmaniasis)
25 pages, 2390 KB  
Review
Structure and Functions of Actin and Actin-Binding Proteins in Leishmania
by Chhitar M. Gupta and Saravanamuthu Thiyagarajan
Pathogens 2025, 14(9), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14090948 - 19 Sep 2025
Viewed by 604
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in fundamental eukaryotic processes such as morphogenesis, motility, endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, and cell division. However, our understanding of actin and its associated proteins in trypanosomatid parasites like Leishmania remains limited. Over the past two decades, considerable [...] Read more.
The actin cytoskeleton plays a crucial role in fundamental eukaryotic processes such as morphogenesis, motility, endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, and cell division. However, our understanding of actin and its associated proteins in trypanosomatid parasites like Leishmania remains limited. Over the past two decades, considerable progress has been made in elucidating the structure and functions of Leishmania actin and its core regulators. Notably, these findings are primarily derived from studies of the insect-stage promastigote form, while the roles of the actin machinery during the disease-causing amastigote stage within mammalian hosts remain largely unexplored. This review consolidates the current knowledge of actin and its interactors in Leishmania promastigotes, highlighting their potential roles in parasite development and stage-specific differentiation. Additionally, it explores the potential of targeting the cytoskeletal system as a strategy for novel therapeutic interventions against Leishmaniasis. The review concludes by identifying critical knowledge gaps and proposing future research directions to better understand actin-driven pathogenesis in this important human parasite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania & Leishmaniasis)
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