Designing novel treatments for diseases of neglected populations: An interdisciplinary approach

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) consist of twenty conditions identified by the World Health Organization that predominantly impact tropical regions, affecting over a billion individuals in underprivileged communities. These diseases, resulting from a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi, are closely linked with poverty and carry significant global public health implications. The intricate life cycles of these diseases, animal reservoirs, and vector transmissions create formidable challenges for public health control. Traditionally neglected by pharmaceutical industries, these ailments are nonetheless sparking the academic community's interest, particularly regarding the biology and biochemistry of pathogens and the pursuit of new drugs through multidisciplinary research.The primary goal of this Research Topic is to highlight recent initiatives by research groups that aim to generate new scientific insights for developing innovative organic and metal-based drugs, including drug repurposing for the treatment of some NTDs. By focusing on these efforts, this Research Topic will shed light on the current state of research and emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration to combat these diseases.This Research Topic particularly welcome Mini Reviews, Perspectives and Brief Research Reports that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:o Design and synthetic strategies of novel organic agents targeting NTDso Synthesis and evaluation of metal-based drugs, including traditional coordination compounds and organometallics, against NTDso Efforts in drug repurposing or repositioning to find alternative treatmentso Biochemical, biophysical, and biological studies investigating agent efficacy and mechanisms of actiono Interactions of bioactive compounds with biomolecules and reactive specieso Pharmacological profiling of compounds active against NTDso Enhancements of lead compounds, including prodrug design for potential drug candidateso Computational investigations providing insights into drug design and mechanismso Innovative research approaches like artificial intelligence in drug discovery Topic editors: Gonzalo Scalese, Dinorah Gambino, Elizabeth Igne Ferreira, Hugo Cerecetto Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78490/designing-novel-treatments-for-diseases-of-neglected-populations-an-interdisciplinary-approach