Scoping Review of Deep Learning Techniques for Diagnosis, Drug Discovery, and Vaccine Development in Leishmaniasis

Leishmania, a single-cell parasite prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, can cause varying degrees of leishmaniasis, ranging from self-limiting skin lesions to potentially fatal visceral complications. As such, the parasite has been the subject of much interest in the scientific community. In recent years, advances in diagnostic techniques such as flow cytometry, molecular biology, proteomics, and nanodiagnosis have contributed to progress in the diagnosis of this deadly disease. Additionally, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), including its subbranches such as machine learning and deep learning, has revolutionized the field of medicine. The high accuracy of AI and its potential to reduce human and laboratory errors make it an especially promising tool in diagnosis and treatment. Despite the promising potential of deep learning in the medical field, there has been no review study on the applications of this technology in the context of leishmaniasis. To address this gap, we provide a scoping review of deep learning methods in the diagnosis of the disease, drug discovery, and vaccine development. In conducting a thorough search of available literature, we analyzed articles in detail that used deep learning methods for various aspects of the disease, including diagnosis, drug discovery, vaccine development, and related proteins. Each study was individually analyzed, and the methodology and results were presented. As the first and only review study on this topic, this paper serves as a quick and comprehensive resource and guide for the future research in this field.