Drug Resistance in Leishmania

Abstract

Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a wide range of diseases affecting 12 million people worldwide with 1.5-2 million new cases each year. With no vaccine available yet, the control of these parasites relies solely on chemotherapy. Low-cost antimony-derived compounds remain the primary antileishmanial treatment in most developing countries. Increasing drug resistance towards these molecules has forced the use of alternative therapies in highly endemic areas including amphotericin B, paromomycin, and miltefosine. This chapter is presenting our current understanding of the mode of action and underlying resistance mechanisms of the few therapeutic drugs used against Leishmania. Keywords