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Immunometabolic Circuits in Infection for Advancing Host Directed Therapies
Published on: September 13, 2024
Leishmaniasis and various immunotherapeutic approaches
Y Taslimi1, F Zahedifard1, S Rafati1
1Department of Immunotherapy and Leishmania Vaccine Research,Pasteur Institute of Iran,Tehran,Iran.
Abstract:
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by multiple Leishmania (L.) species with diverse clinical manifestations. There is currently no vaccine against any form of the disease approved in humans, and chemotherapy is the sole approach for treatment. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited to a small number of drugs, partly due to high cost and significant adverse effects. The other obstacle in leishmaniasis treatment is the potential for drug resistance, which has been observed in multiple endemic countries. Immunotherapy maybe another important avenue for controlling leishmaniasis and could help patients control the disease. There are different approaches for immunotherapy in different infectious diseases, generally with low-cost, limited side-effects and no possibility to developing resistance. In this paper, different immunotherapy approaches as alternatives to routine drug treatment will be reviewed against leishmaniasis.
Insights
Leishmaniasis treatment faces challenges with limited drugs and resistance. Immunotherapy offers a promising alternative for controlling this infectious disease with fewer side effects and no drug resistance.
Area of Science:
- Tropical medicine
- Infectious diseases
- Parasitology
Background:
- Leishmaniasis is a significant vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania parasites, presenting diverse clinical forms.
- Current treatment relies solely on chemotherapy, which is hampered by limited drug options, high costs, adverse effects, and emerging drug resistance.
- The lack of a human vaccine necessitates exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various immunotherapy approaches for leishmaniasis.
- To evaluate immunotherapy as a potential alternative to conventional drug treatments.
- To highlight the advantages of immunotherapy, including low cost and reduced resistance potential.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of immunotherapy strategies for leishmaniasis.
- Analysis of different immunotherapy modalities applicable to infectious diseases.
- Synthesis of current research on non-chemotherapeutic leishmaniasis control.
Main Results:
- Immunotherapy presents a viable alternative to chemotherapy for leishmaniasis.
- Potential immunotherapy approaches may offer lower costs and fewer side effects compared to current drugs.
- A key advantage of immunotherapy is the reduced likelihood of developing treatment resistance.
Conclusions:
- Immunotherapy is a promising avenue for leishmaniasis control.
- Further research and development of immunotherapy are crucial to overcome limitations of current treatments.
- Immunotherapy could significantly improve patient outcomes and disease management globally.
