Advanced Drug Delivery Systems and Innovative Therapeutic Strategies Against Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania - kinetoplastid protists with a complex digenetic life cycle involving sandfly vectors and mammalian hosts. Understanding Leishmania as a protist organism, including its cell biology, host-parasite interactions, and molecular adaptations that enable intracellular survival in macrophages, is fundamental to advancing therapeutic development. Depending on the clinical form — cutaneous, mucocutaneous, or visceral — the disease primarily affects populations in developing countries and is characterized by skin lesions, mucosal damage, or systemic involvement that can lead to permanent scarring, disability, and social stigma, or, in the case of visceral leishmaniasis, can be fatal if untreated.Despite the availability of treatments (antimonials, amphotericin B, miltefosine), these have significant limitations, including high toxicity, the need for prolonged administration, high costs, and increasing drug resistance. Furthermore, therapeutic success depends on achieving effective drug concentration at the site of infection, which is complicated by tissue barriers and local pharmacokinetics. Diagnosis and surveillance also remain challenging, particularly in endemic and resource-limited settings.In this context, advanced drug delivery systems (especially those based on nanotechnology) have emerged as a promising strategy to improve bioavailability, reduce toxicity, and enable targeted delivery to the site of infection. Topical and systemic formulations, nanoparticles, liposomes, and polymeric systems are being widely investigated as innovative alternatives. In parallel, advances in diagnostics, vector biology, immunology, and vaccine development are also reshaping how the disease is detected, prevented, and managed.This Research Topic aims to:• Explore the biology of Leishmania protists, including host-parasite interactions, intracellular survival mechanisms, and molecular and omics-based perspectives that inform therapeutic and diagnostic targeting.• Explore recent advances in drug delivery systems for the treatment of cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis.• Analyze innovative therapeutic strategies that improve treatment efficacy and safety.• Examine progress in diagnosis, surveillance, and epidemiology of leishmaniasis across endemic and non-endemic settings.• Promote multidisciplinary approaches that integrate protist biology, pharmacology, nanotechnology, immunology, and vector biology.• Identify current challenges and future opportunities in the clinical translation of new therapies and diagnostic tools.• Encourage the development of accessible solutions adapted to endemic contexts.This Research Topic invites submissions on the biology, cell biology, and host-parasite interactions of Leishmania protists, as well as advanced drug delivery systems and innovative therapeutic strategies against Leishmaniasis in its cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral forms. Studies on nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels, and topical or systemic formulations are included, as well as targeted, combination, and stimulus-responsive therapies. Also relevant are works on molecular and omics approaches to understanding Leishmania biology, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic optimization, tissue penetration, new compounds, drug repurposing, and immunomodulatory approaches. Submissions on diagnostics, epidemiology, vector biology, and vaccine development are also welcome. Research with translational potential, applicable in endemic contexts, is especially valued.Original articles and reviews with methodological rigor and innovation are welcome. Manuscripts may address Leishmania biology and host-parasite dynamics or demonstrate improvements in diagnosis or conventional therapies with data on efficacy, safety, and feasibility. Emphasis on clinical relevance, scalability, and accessibility in affected countries is encouraged. Interdisciplinary approaches integrating protistology, nanotechnology, pharmacology, immunology, and global health are particularly welcome. Topic editors: Lilian Sosa, Carolina Espinoza, Marcelle Silva Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81324/advanced-drug-delivery-systems-and-innovative-therapeutic-strategies-against-leishmaniasis