Leishmania (PDF)

With an estimated 1.3 million new cases and causing more than 20,000 deaths every year, Leishmaniasis continues to be a menace in countries across the globe. The absence of an anti-Leishmania vaccine, the toxicity of current anti-parasite drugs, coupled with the rapid emergence of drug resistant Leishmania strains remain significant challenges for disease control. This has spurred a plethora of research initiatives into the parasite biology, parasite-host interaction, mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, drug development and molecular mechanism of drug resistance. Insights obtained from various such studies are essential for the development of novel anti-Leishmania treatment strategies. In this timely book respected Leismania experts distil the important current research highlighting the most insightful discoveries in the field. Topics covered include: modulation of host miRNA; heat shock proteins; Iron in the Leishmania-macrophage interaction; oxidative and nitrosative stress response; cell death; strategies for immune evasion; STAT signalling; parasite modulation of toll-like receptors in macrophages; T cells in Leishmania infection; vaccine biology; inhibitors of Leishmania DNA topoisomerases; and mechanism of drug resistance in visceral Leishmaniasis. An essential text for everyone in the Leishmania community and recommended for researchers working in related fields.