About this Research Topic

Background

Protozoan diseases such as malaria and trypanosomiasis are significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Meanwhile, zoonotic protozoan diseases like cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniosis, and giardiasis are particularly concerning due to their association with severe outcomes, particularly in immunocompromised populations.

These infectious protozoan parasites pose a significant threat to global health, resulting in over a million deaths annually and inflicting significant morbidity and economic burdens on affected communities.

Several factors are expected to escalate the global burden of protozoan diseases, including the lack of approved vaccines, the dwindling effectiveness of current treatments, the emergence of drug resistance, globalization, climate change, and insufficient attention to parasitic diseases. As a result, there is a pressing need to understand protozoan parasites' resistance mechanisms and develop fresh strategies to combat these parasites and address the prevailing challenges.

Recent advancements in the field show promising potential in addressing the challenges posed by protozoan diseases. By understanding the mechanisms behind antiparasitic resistance, exploring innovative treatments such as CRISPR/Cas and nanomaterials, and adopting interdisciplinary "One Health" approaches, we can pave the way for more effective strategies. Deciphering resistance mechanisms, exploring drug repurposing, and leveraging bioinformatics for predictive modelling can help us develop robust strategies to combat these diseases. Collaboration and innovation can help us reduce the global burden of protozoan diseases and improve outcomes for affected populations.

This research topic aims to elucidate the mechanisms of drug resistance in protozoan parasites and explore innovative treatment strategies to combat these diseases. By addressing the pressing need for new therapeutic approaches, this research seeks to answer critical questions about how resistance develops and spreads, and to test hypotheses related to the efficacy of novel treatments. The goal is to inform and guide efforts toward mitigating the global impact of protozoan diseases through scientific discovery and innovation.

To gather further insights into the mechanisms and treatments of protozoan diseases, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Protozoan resistance mechanisms
- Antiparasitic drug mechanisms
- Combination therapy effects and mechanisms
- Innovative antiparasitic methods (CRISPR/Cas, Nanomaterials)
- Drug resistance transfer
- Drug repurposing
- Bioinformatic approaches for treatment and resistance prediction

We encourage submissions to elucidate cellular-level drug actions, explore combination therapies, and investigate drug resistance transfer mechanisms. The manuscript types accepted in this collection include original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, and method articles.

We seek manuscripts that advance our understanding of protozoan diseases and propose innovative solutions to combat them, aiming to inform and guide efforts toward mitigating their global impact.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Protozoan diseases, Antiparasitic resistance, Drug development, Combination therapy, CRISPR/Cas, Nanomaterials, Drug repurposing, Bioinformatics, One Health

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.

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