Development of Vaccines for Leishmaniasis: Scientific Advances Already Achieved and Lessons Learned

Leishmaniasis is present in approximately 200 countries worldwide, being a major public health problem primarily in the Americas, East Africa, North Africa, and West and Southeast Asia. Leishmaniasis can present lesions ranging from cutaneous and mucocutaneous to the visceral form, the latter considered highly lethal if not treated correctly. Currently, high diagnostic and treatment costs pose significant challenges for public health organizations, especially since most endemic countries are underdeveloped. Furthermore, the sometimes-lengthy treatment time and adverse reactions can lead to patients discontinuing treatment. Therefore, it is common sense that the development of vaccines against leishmaniasis is the best chance to combat and eradicate this infection. However, several barriers are faced in achieving success, ranging from the wide variety of causative species to the complexity of the parasite-host interaction. Despite this, it is extremely important to continue striving to achieve the goal, aiming to bring health and safety to the population.Leishmaniasis is a group of diseases affecting populations in various countries around the world, from underdeveloped to developed. Highlighting its importance, this group of diseases can cause anything from skin lesions, affecting the life of the infected individual, to death. However, despite the alarming scenario, this disease does not receive as much attention as it should, thus being a neglected tropical disease. This topic focuses on drawing attention to the need for the development of vaccines for leishmaniasis, which is probably the main way to eradicate this disease that affects many countries worldwide. Therefore, this topic aims to bring together the progress made so far, as well as the challenges faced by researchers, in order to assist in decision-making for the next steps, both for the scientific community and for government agencies.This Research Topic encompasses the development of vaccines for leishmaniasis, addressing both tegumentary and visceral leishmaniasis. It can cover topics ranging from initial in silico analyses for target selection to preclinical and clinical screenings in vaccine development. It can also address non-traditional categories in vaccine development, such as transmission-blocking vaccines. Topic editors: Ana Alice Maia Gonçalves, Isabela Pereira, JORGE ARISTIDES MIRET RIQUELME Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80981/development-of-vaccines-for-leishmaniasis-scientific-advances-already-achieved-and-lessons-learned