Molecular Mechanisms of Immune Evasion and Antigen Discovery in Neglected Tropical Diseases

Protozoan Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) such as Chagas disease, Leishmaniasis, and Malaria remain among the most pressing global health challenges, disproportionately impacting populations in low-resource regions. Despite significant advancements, these diseases persist due to the remarkable adaptability and complexity of protozoan parasites, which have evolved intricate life cycles and effective survival strategies in both mammalian hosts and insect vectors. Current research has underscored the crucial role of host-pathogen crosstalk in driving disease outcomes, particularly concerning the parasites’ capacity for immune evasion, antigenic variation, and drug resistance. While high-throughput molecular technologies have yielded new insights and resources, the overarching challenge is translating this knowledge into actionable interventions.Recent studies employing transcriptomics, proteomics, and structural biology have started to unravel the fine molecular interplay between host and protozoan pathogens, revealing a panorama of candidate antigenic determinants and virulence factors. These findings, however, are often fragmented and have so far yielded only incremental progress toward transformative breakthroughs, such as effective vaccines or robust diagnostic platforms. The field is moving from a descriptive paradigm toward predictive and interventionist models, but critical gaps remain in connecting fundamental mechanisms to targeted biotechnological solutions. Especially lacking are integrative efforts to validate molecular predictions experimentally and to leverage structural and computational insights for rational therapeutic design.This Research Topic aims to catalyze advances at the interface of molecular parasitology and discovery biology. We seek to bridge fundamental understanding with the identification and validation of actionable targets for diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics. Emphasis will be placed on studies that move beyond the characterization of molecular interactions to propose and evaluate innovative intervention strategies—such as synthetic peptides, multi-epitope constructs, and virus-like particles—grounded in the latest computational and experimental methodologies. Our objective is to accelerate the pipeline from target discovery to translational application, thereby addressing the urgent need for new strategies against protozoan NTDs.Submissions should focus on the molecular interface between protozoan parasites and their hosts and are expected to combine computational predictions with mechanistic studies or experimental validation. Studies are welcome as long as they offer insight into core molecular determinants relevant to infection, immunity, or intervention innovation. To gather further insights in these boundaries, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Mechanistic dissection of host-pathogen interactions, including immune modulation and escape strategies- Discovery and validation of novel antigens and epitopes for use in diagnostics or vaccine design- Application and development of computational pipelines for target prediction and prioritization- Molecular basis of protozoan pathogenicity, encompassing virulence factors and survival mechanisms- Translational studies proposing or evaluating next-generation biotechnological interventionsAppendix: We welcome submissions including Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, and Hypothesis and Theory articles relating to the molecular understanding and intervention of protozoan Neglected Tropical Diseases. Topic editors: Edward Valencia Ayala, Ana Alonso Ayala, Miguel Angel Chavez Fumagalli, Pedro José Alcolea, Jaeson Calla, Alexandre F Marques Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79475/molecular-mechanisms-of-immune-evasion-and-antigen-discovery-in-neglected-tropical-diseases