Bioprospecting, Drug Repositioning and Novel Therapeutic Strategies Against Protozoan Infections: From Mechanisms to Translational Applications

A special issue of Pharmaceuticals (ISSN 1424-8247). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 45

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405318, MG, Brazil
2. Laboratory of Biochemistry and Animal Toxins, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia 38405318, MG, Brazil
Interests: animal venoms; bioprospecting; biotechnological tools; snake venom; alternative treatments; drug discovery; natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Immunophysiology of Reproduction, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
Interests: Toxoplasma gondii; Trypanosoma cruzi; trophoblast; placenta; immunology; reproduction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Protozoan infections remain a major global health challenge, particularly in neglected and congenital diseases such as toxoplasmosis, where current therapeutic options are limited and often associated with toxicity and variable efficacy. In this context, the identification of novel bioactive compounds—either through bioprospecting of natural products, synthetic approaches, or drug repositioning strategies—represents a promising and timely research direction.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research articles and reviews focusing on the following:

  • Discovery of novel anti-protozoan compounds from natural, synthetic, or hybrid sources;
  • Drug repurposing and repositioning strategies against protozoan parasites;
  • Mechanisms of action, including host–parasite interactions and cellular/molecular pathways;
  • In vitro and in vivo experimental models for drug screening and validation;
  • Translational perspectives, including safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic applications;
  • Studies addressing congenital and neglected parasitic diseases.

Dr. Samuel Teixeira
Dr. Bellisa Freitas Barbosa
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 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. Pharmaceuticals 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 2900 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

  • bioprospecting
  • drug repositioning
  • protozoan infections
  • mechanism
  • translational perspectives
  • congenital and neglected parasitic diseases

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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