Beyond Conventional Drugs: Natural Therapeutics as a Response to the Antiparasitic Resistance Crisis

The global burden of parasitic diseases remains one of the most persistent challenges in public health, cutting across human medicine, veterinary science, and agricultural productivity. Helminthic and protozoan infections collectively cost the global livestock sector billions of dollars annually through animal mortality, reduced milk and meat production, and tissue condemnation at slaughter. Given the zoonotic nature of many of these infections, the consequences extend well beyond economics. Communities in low- and middle-income countries across South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and parts of Europe continue to carry a disproportionate share of the disease burden, often with the fewest resources available to manage it. As environmental change, intensified farming practices, and increased livestock movement reshape the transmission dynamics of parasitic diseases, the pressure on existing control strategies continues to mount.For decades, disease management has relied on a narrow range of chemotherapeutic agents, a strategy that is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Resistance to frontline anthelmintic and antiprotozoal drugs has been reported across multiple parasite species and geographic regions, in both developed and developing countries. The toxicity and adverse reaction profiles of many conventional drugs further constrain their long-term use and limit sustainable parasite control. Although efforts to develop commercially viable vaccines continue, progress remains slow and a broadly applicable solution is not yet within reach. Compounding these scientific challenges, the economics of drug development represent a critical but often overlooked limiting factor. Parasitic diseases predominantly affect populations with limited purchasing power, reducing commercial incentive for pharmaceutical investment and leaving many conditions chronically underfunded relative to their global burden. In this context, interest in natural product–derived therapeutics has grown rapidly, reflecting a shift toward more diverse and ecologically compatible options for antiparasitic intervention.Plants, fungi, marine organisms, and traditional remedies represent a substantial and still underexplored reservoir for antiparasitic drug discovery. Evidence increasingly shows that bioactive compounds of natural origin can interfere with key enzymatic pathways, disrupt parasite structural integrity, and reduce viability in ways that warrant further development as therapeutic candidates. Advances in nanoparticle-based drug delivery are opening new opportunities to improve bioavailability and stability which have long been major barriers to translating natural compounds into effective treatments. This Research Topic brings together studies that explore these advances through molecular, biochemical, and applied approaches, addressing both human and veterinary parasitic diseases. It aims to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration among parasitology, pharmacognosy, chemistry, immunology, and drug development researchers.We welcome original research articles, systematic reviews, methodological studies, and perspectives addressing innovative strategies to overcome antiparasitic resistance through natural therapeutics.Specific themes of interest include, but are not limited to:• Drug resistance mechanisms: Molecular, genomic, and epidemiological approaches to characterizing resistance in parasitic helminths and protozoa.• Natural product discovery: Isolation, characterization, and structure–activity analysis of bioactive compounds from plant, fungal, and marine sources.• Target identification and validation: Research on parasite-specific molecular targets amenable to natural compound intervention, including enzymes central to virulence and survival.• Computational approaches: In silico screening and molecular docking of natural compounds against validated parasite targets.• AI and machine learning applications: Predictive modelling of drug–target interactions, resistance surveillance, outbreak forecasting, and compound screening, using machine learning and large dataset approaches.• Nanoparticle-based drug delivery: Formulation strategies to enhance bioavailability, stability, and therapeutic efficacy of natural therapeutics.• Ethnopharmacology: Documentation and scientific validation of traditional antiparasitic remedies across diverse geographic and cultural contexts.• In vitro and in vivo validation: Preclinical efficacy, safety, and mechanistic investigations of natural product–derived compounds.• Combination and repurposing strategies: Integrating natural therapeutics with existing treatment frameworks to address resistance.• Economics of drug development: Analysis of the commercial, funding, and market access barriers that shape antiparasitic drug pipelines, and strategies to incentivise investment in treatments for neglected and underserved populations. Topic editors: Rizwan Ullah, Fatima Khan, SUMBUL REHMAN, Lubna Rehman Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82154/beyond-conventional-drugs-natural-therapeutics-as-a-response-to-the-antiparasitic-resistance-crisis