About this Research Topic
Apicomplexan parasites have a significant impact on human and livestock health. The most important apicomplexan parasite is Plasmodium, the pathogenic agent of malaria. Malaria is a devastating and quite often deadly parasitic disease that causes important public health problems in the tropics. However, coccidiosis, caused by Cryptosporidia and Toxoplasma infections also pose a serious threat, especially to immunocompromised people such as HIV patients all over the world. Moreover, first infection with Toxoplasma during pregnancy can lead to developmental damage to the fetus.
Due to the high mutational rate of apicomplexan pathogens and their resulting rapid adaptation to environmental changes or inadequate treatment, drug resistance to the standard medication is increasing. Therefore, continuous discovery of novel drug targets and the development of new chemotherapeutic agents are essential.
This Research Topic intends to focus on the apicomplexan pathogens which are responsible for infectious diseases in humans and/or animals, and the discovery and development of novel chemotherapeutics to tackle or prevent the caused disease.
Contributions may explore:
• the identification of potential drug targets;
• techniques such as bioinformatics, high-throughput screening, reverse genetics,
structural biology, enzymology;
• drug-target interactions and their effects at cellular and host level.
All article types will be considered, but we especially welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, and Mini Reviews.
Due to the high mutational rate of apicomplexan pathogens and their resulting rapid adaptation to environmental changes or inadequate treatment, drug resistance to the standard medication is increasing. Therefore, continuous discovery of novel drug targets and the development of new chemotherapeutic agents are essential.
This Research Topic intends to focus on the apicomplexan pathogens which are responsible for infectious diseases in humans and/or animals, and the discovery and development of novel chemotherapeutics to tackle or prevent the caused disease.
Contributions may explore:
• the identification of potential drug targets;
• techniques such as bioinformatics, high-throughput screening, reverse genetics,
structural biology, enzymology;
• drug-target interactions and their effects at cellular and host level.
All article types will be considered, but we especially welcome Original Research, Brief Research Reports, and Mini Reviews.
Keywords: Structural Biology, Drug Synthesis, Drug Targets, Small Molecules, High-Throughput-Screening, Bioinfomatics, Genomics, Transcriptomics, Animal Models, Parasite-Host-Interaction
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
