Ponte-Sucre A. et al. (eds.) Drug Resistance in Leishmania Parasites: Consequences, Molecular Mechanisms and Possible Treatments

Springer, 2013. — 458 p. — ISBN: 978-3-7091-0238-1One of the main problems concerning therapeutic tools for the treatment of parasitic diseases, including leishmaniasis, is that some field parasites are naturally resistant to the classical drugs; additionally, current therapies may select parasites prone to be resistant to the applied drugs. These features are (at least partially) responsible for the disappointing persistence of the disease and resultant deaths worldwide. This book provides a comprehensive view of the pathology of the disease itself, and of parasitic drug resistance, its molecular basis, consequences and possible treatments. Scientists both from academic fields and from the industry involved in biomedical research and drug design, will find in this book a valuable and fundamental guide that conveys the knowledge needed to understand and to improve the success in combating this disease worldwide.Introduction: Leishmaniasis – The Biology of a Parasite
Determinant Features in Leishmaniasis
Molecular Evolution and Phylogeny of Leishmania
The Role of Reservoirs: Canine Leishmaniasis
Epidemiology of Leishmaniasis in the Time of Drug Resistance
Leishmania and the Immune System
The Role of the Immune System in Resistance to Infection
Vaccination as a Control Measure
Leishmania Vaccines: Past, Present, and Future
Challenges in the Diagnosis, Treatment and Control of Leishmaniasis in Times of Drug Resistance
Co-infection with HIV
Visceral Leishmaniasis
American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis
Molecular Features of Drug-Resistant Leishmania
Genetic Expression and Drug Resistance, the Role of Proteomics
The Role of ABC Transporters in Drug-Resistant Leishmania
Functional Analysis of Leishmania Membrane (Non-ABC) Transporters Involved in Drug Resistance
Intracellular Mechanisms of Resistance
Pharmacology and Chemotherapy of Leishmaniasis
Classical Versus Novel Treatment Regimens
Drug Targets, Drug Effectors, and Drug Targeting and Delivery
Mechanisms of Miltefosine Resistance in Leishmania
P-glycoprotein-like Transporters in Leishmania: A Search for Reversal Agents
Strategies to Circumvent Drug Resistance in Leishmania
The Relevance of Susceptibility Tests, Breakpoints, and Markers
The Concept of Fitness and Drug Resistance in Leishmania