**Meet the editors**

Dr. Farhat Afrin received her Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India. Earlier, she served at the Department of Biotechnology, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India, for 16 years. She also worked at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and at the Centre for Immunology and Infection, University of York, UK. She is a recipient of

several honors, including American Association of Immunologists Young Faculty Travel Grant, Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship, and Department of Biotechnology Overseas Associateship. Her research interest is parasite immunology with an emphasis on vaccination and immunotherapeutics of infectious diseases. She has published over 56 papers in journals of international repute and is an academic editor, editorial board member, and reviewer of several journals and editor of a number of books.

Dr. Hassan A. Hemeg completed his Masters in Pathological Science from Sheffield University, UK, and his Ph.D. from King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He earned several honors such as Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science, UK, and Certified Canadian Accreditation Specialist for Health Care Facilities. He acquired training in microbiology from Sheffield and

Bristol universities, UK, and the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. His research interest is in the field of antimicrobial resistance. He has published several papers in journals of international repute and is editor of a number of books. Presently, he is an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madina, Saudi Arabia, where he also served as vice dean.

Contents

**Preface VII**

**Section 1 Introductory Chapter 1**

**Syndrome 3**

Chapter 2 **Visceral Leishmaniasis 17**

**Section 2 Leishmaniasis: An Overview 15**

Ogobara K. Doumbo†

Chapter 4 **Immune Evasion Strategies 39**

**Section 3 Immune Evasion in Leishmaniasis 37**

**What Is Still Missing? 59**

Eltahir Awad Gasim Khalil

Chapter 1 **Introductory Chapter: Leishmaniasis: An Emerging Clinical**

Sujit K. Bhattacharya, Ajanta Ghosal, Sudeshna Ganguly, Sandipan

Abdoulaye Kassoum Kone, Mahamadou A. Thera, Babacar Faye and

M. Magdalena Aguirre-Garcia, Alma R. Escalona-Montaño, Arturo

Farhat Afrin and Hassan A. Hemeg

Ganguly, Sabahat Azim and Shanta Dutta

Chapter 3 **Leishmaniases in West Africa: Past and Current 27**

A. Wilkins-Rodríguez and Laila Gutiérrez-Kobeh

Chapter 5 **Vaccines for Human Leishmaniasis: Where Do We Stand and**

Chapter 6 **Vaccines for Visceral Leishmaniasis: Hopes and Hurdles 95**

Pedro Cecílio, Fabiano Oliveira and Anabela Cordeiro da Silva

**Section 4 Vaccine Candidates: Past, Present and Future 57**

## Contents

## **Preface XI**


Chapter 6 **Vaccines for Visceral Leishmaniasis: Hopes and Hurdles 95** Eltahir Awad Gasim Khalil

## **Section 5 Therapeutic Targets and Inhibitors 105**

Chapter 7 **The Polyamine Pathway as a Potential Target for Leishmaniases Chemotherapy 107** Juliana Ide Aoki, Sandra Marcia Muxel, Juliane Cristina Ribeiro Fernandes and Lucile Maria Floeter-Winter

Preface

Leishmaniasis comprises a broad spectrum of neglected vector-borne diseases ranging in se‐ verity from self-healing but disfiguring and stigmatizing cutaneous lesions to mucocutane‐ ous and fatal visceral manifestations, depending on the species and host characteristics. The visceralizing species is the most devastating and listed as one of the major neglected tropical diseases. The syndrome primarily afflicts the impoverished population of low-income coun‐ tries, mainly in the tropics and subtropics. Despite intensive research, live vaccines are the only effective treatment till date against cutaneous leishmaniasis, while none exists for the visceral form. Moreover, there is an upward trend in development of resistance to most of the currently available chemotherapeutic arsenal. Combinations of drugs have also been ex‐ plored. Absence of vaccines, progressive emergence of HIV/*Leishmania* coinfection, and re‐

Invasion of host macrophages by *Leishmania* triggers a multitude of signaling circuits to eliminate the pathogen. However, the parasite has evolved stratagems to neutralize macro‐ phage defensive arsenals, the very heart of the immune system's defensive machinery, creat‐ ing a safe niche for its survival. Identification of new drug targets can contribute towards designing inhibitors and strengthening the pipeline for disease elimination. Natural prod‐ ucts from medicinal plants have also shown leishmanicidal effects that in some cases are potentiated by immunomodulation. A plethora of nanoparticles has been reported to induce protection with modulation of the immune response. Another major challenge in the mitiga‐ tion of this endemic disease is to achieve safe, efficacious, and low-cost prophylactic and/or

This book encompasses the epidemiology of leishmaniasis, immune evasion strategies em‐ ployed by the *Leishmania* parasite, and current vaccination and immunotherapeutic ap‐ proaches, including prophylactic as well as therapeutic vaccines. The prospects of new drug targets and inhibitors and natural product-based antileishmanial drugs and nanomedicines

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to my revered collea‐ gue Dr. Hassan Hemeg for his valuable guidance, perseverant support, and constructive

> **Farhat Afrin and Hassan Abdullah Hemeg** Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences

> > Madina, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Taibah University

lapse after treatment delineate the gravity of leishmaniasis affliction.

therapeutic vaccines with long-lasting protection.

criticism that gave impetus to the success of this book.

have also been exemplified.

	- **Section 7 Nanomedicines for Anti-leishmanial Therapy 179**
