Advancements in Antileishmanial Drug Discovery: Targeting Druggable Pathways and Overcoming Treatment Challenges

Abstract

Over the last decades, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), especially leishmaniasis, have been the focus of several drug discovery programs. The identification of the pathogen druggable targets and the ability to map the differences between parasites and human enzymes have contributed to the increased interest in the development of new lead compounds. Despite this progress, there remain substantial gaps with respect to developing efficient medications that can be the foundation for surmounting the acquired resistance and overcoming treatment failure. With this background in mind, this chapter will discuss the validated drug targets with a special focus on the reported structural determinants of activity of novel antileishmanial agents. The aim is to introduce an updated overview of the medicinal chemistry aspects of leishmaniasis to the scientific community.