About this Research Topic

Background

Leishmaniases are a diverse collection of life-threatening and disfiguring diseases caused by infection with protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. The WHO recognizes leishmaniases as major neglected diseases of poverty which affect ~150 million people in 98 countries worldwide. The visceral form of the disease is fatal if left untreated and leads to ~40,000 deaths each year in South Asia, East Africa and Brazil. Tegumentary leishmaniases, which include the disabling mucocutaneous form, affect ~100 million people worldwide and impact the quality of life of young adults. Canine visceral leishmaniasis is not only a veterinary problem, but also a potential reservoir for the human infection. Anti-leishmanial chemotherapy is still a challenge due to a number of factors including high costs of treatment and prevalence of drug resistance.

The epidemiological and clinical profile of leishmaniasis is determined by the parasite distinctive biology and the intricate interaction established within its hosts. The genome plasticity of Leishmania species stands out as a peculiar feature of these parasites which is revealed through genome-wide phenomena that include mostly chromosome copy number variation and gene amplification. It is possible that Leishmania relies on genome plasticity not only to survive the inhospitable environment encountered throughout its life cycle, but also to overcome anti-leishmanial treatment. The genome plasticity traits observed in these parasites are hallmarks of genome instability in other eukaryotes. Therefore, it is also possible that Leishmania specifically adapted its response to DNA injury to harness distinct elements of genome stability and variability.

This Research Topic aims to focus on aspects of Leishmania biology that can be modulated or substantially affected by the parasite genome plasticity, and the concomitant variability, not only on phenotypic traits such as genome structure and expression, but also on host interaction and disease outcome.

The Research Topic welcomes article types including original research, reviews, brief research report, and methods. The topics of interest include:

• The processes of replication, repair and segregation that are involved in the maintenance of the Leishmania genome structure and the role of genome plasticity on the organization and evolution of the parasite genome.
• The intersection between genome structure and processes that regulate gene expression in Leishmania parasites.
• The mechanisms of parasite internalization, infection and immune evasion within the mammalian host that could be affected or modulated by the Leishmania genetic plasticity.
• The role of Leishmania genetic variability and genome plasticity as basis for the establishment of drug resistance mechanisms and its impact on the development of antileishmanial chemotherapy.
• The impact of Leishmania genome plasticity on the development of genetic manipulation tools and resources.

Keywords: Leishmania, Genome Plasticity, Leishmaniasis, Anti-leishmanial Chemotherapy, Leishmania Infection

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