Leishmaniasis: History, Evolution of Treatment and the Need for New Drugs

Title:Leishmaniasis: History, Evolution of Treatment and the Need for New Drugs

Volume: 3 Issue: 4

Author(s): Elisama Azevedo Cardoso, Aldo Rodrigues da Silva, Gabriela Cristina de Carvalho, Aline Guerra Manssour Fraga, Maria Leticia de Castro Barbosa, Andre Luis Souza dos Santos, Helena Carla Castro and Viviane Lione

Affiliation:

Keywords: Antileishmanial drugs, Leishmania, Leishmaniasis, Leishmaniasis treatment, natural products, neglected diseases, thiourea.

Abstract: Leishmaniasis is defined as a cluster of infectious diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. It is recognized worldwide as a major health problem, showing high endemicity in developing countries. The present review details this complex group of neglected diseases, with important clinical spectrum and large epidemiological diversity, and discusses the evolution of leishmaniasis treatment and the urgent need for less toxic, more specific and effective drugs against these parasites. Finally, the value of natural products and synthetic derivatives as rich sources of antileishmanial drug candidates is demonstrated, indicating a promising approach for the development of novel therapeutic alternatives.

Cite this article as:

Cardoso Azevedo Elisama, Silva Rodrigues da Aldo, Carvalho Cristina de Gabriela, Fraga Guerra Manssour Aline, Barbosa Leticia de Castro Maria, Santos Luis Souza dos Andre, Castro Carla Helena and Lione Viviane, Leishmaniasis: History, Evolution of Treatment and the Need for New Drugs, Current Biotechnology 2014; 3 (4) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2211550104666150303231736