Protozoan parasites cause disease in humans worldwide, and many fall into the genera Trypanosoma and Leishmania; these parasites are responsible for African trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease and the different forms of Leishmaniasis. Strategies for the development of new drugs against these protozoans have been based on their cell biology and biochemistry complemented by the use of electron microscopy. Trypanosoma and Leishmania have special organelles that are involved in metabolic pathways, which are very distinct from those in mammalian cells; these organelles are potential drug targets. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy can identify not only the target organelles but also alterations to the cell surface and ultrastructural changes that characterize distinct forms of programmed cell death.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.