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Novel hit and lead compounds against neglected protozoan diseases

New Content ItemCall for papers in the Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases.

Edited by Andre G. Tempone and Erika G. Pinto

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of diseases mainly found in tropical and subtropical regions of 149 countries. It is estimated that over 1 billion people are infected with NTDs, with a further 1 billion at risk. Among them, diseases caused by protozoan parasites affect millions of people worldwide, mainly the poorest ones in developing countries. However, such infections have been largely neglected in drug research and development. Most of the current medicines used to treat these diseases are old and have many limitations, including the emergence of drug resistance.

Edited by Prof. Andre G. Tempone (Institute Adolfo Lutz of São Paulo, Brazil) and Dr. Erika G. Pinto (University of Dundee, Scotland), this thematic series aims to build bridges between novel hit or lead compounds and new alternative therapies for neglected protozoan diseases (including malaria). We welcome contributions describing the in vitro and/or in vivo activity of antiprotozoan compounds isolated from natural products (pure and well-characterized substances) and synthetic compounds. Additionally, we also welcome contributions using drug repurposing (or repositioning) approaches, based in approved drugs. The antiprotozoan compounds to be considered as new hit or lead compounds, must be based in strong drug discovery criteria, as: i) potency, ii) selectivity index (or therapeutic index), iii) elimination of interference compounds (pan-assay interference compounds – PAINS), and iv) lack of important structural alerts for known toxic compounds. Contributions describing the mechanism of action (MoA) of drugs, or other active compounds in protozoans are also welcome, using cellular, molecular and/or in silico approaches.

The proposed deadline for submissions is April 30, 2018. The editors invite you to share your knowledge on this exciting subject and submit your manuscript for consideration.

Manuscripts should be formatted according to our submission guidelines and submitted via the online submission system. In the submission system please make sure the correct collection title is chosen from the additional information tab. Please also indicate clearly in the covering letter that the manuscript is to be considered for the "Novel hit and lead compounds against neglected protozoan diseases" series.

If you would like to enquire about the suitability of a manuscript for consideration, please email a pre-submission enquiry to editorial@jvat.org.br.

View all article collections in the Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases

  1. Despite the development of new therapies for leishmaniasis, among the 200 countries or territories reporting to the WHO, 87 were identified as endemic for Tegumentary Leishmaniasis and 75 as endemic for Viscer...

    Authors: Viviane dos Santos Faiões, Lívia C. R. M. da Frota, Edézio Ferreira Cunha-Junior, Julio C. F. Barcellos, Thayssa Da Silva, Chaquip Daher Netto, Silvia Amaral Gonçalves Da-Silva, Alcides J. M. da Silva, Paulo R. R. Costa and Eduardo Caio Torres-Santos
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:35
  2. Drug repurposing has been an interesting and cost-effective approach, especially for neglected diseases, such as Chagas disease.

    Authors: Daiane Dias Ferreira, Juliana Tonini Mesquita, Thais Alves da Costa Silva, Maiara Maria Romanelli, Denise da Gama Jaen Batista, Cristiane França da Silva, Aline Nefertiti Silva da Gama, Bruno Junior Neves, Cleber Camilo Melo-Filho, Maria de Nazare Correia Soeiro, Carolina Horta Andrade and Andre Gustavo Tempone
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:30
  3. Considering the high toxicity and limited therapies available for treating visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the drug repositioning approach represents a faster way to deliver new therapies to the market.

    Authors: Erika G. Pinto and Andre G. Tempone
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:29
  4. The therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of Leishmaniasis is limited and includes toxic compounds (antimonials, amphotericin B, pentamidine and miltefosine). Given these aspects, the search for new compounds ...

    Authors: Simone S Grecco, Thais A Costa-Silva, Fernanda S Sousa, Stefano B Cargnelutti, Eric Umehara, Poliana S Mendonça, Andre G Tempone and Joao Henrique G Lago
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:27
  5. There is still a need for new alternatives in pharmacological therapy for neglected diseases, as the drugs available show high toxicity and parenteral administration. That is the case for the treatment of leis...

    Authors: Carina Agostinho Rodrigues, Paloma Freire dos Santos, Marcela Oliveira Legramanti da Costa, Thais Fernanda Amorim Pavani, Patrícia Xander, Mariana Marques Geraldo, Ana Mengarda, Josué de Moraes and Daniela Gonçales Galasse Rando
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:26
  6. Autologous whole blood (AWB) administration is described as alternative/complementary medical practice widely employed in medical and veterinary therapy against infections, chronic pathologies and neoplasias. ...

    Authors: Beatriz Philot Pavão, Kelly Cristina Demarque, Marcos Meuser Batista, Gabriel Melo de Oliveira, Cristiane França da Silva, Francisca Hildemagna Guedes da Silva, Luzia Fátima Gonçalves Caputo, Cynthia Machado Cascabulho, Marcello André Barcinski and Maria de Nazaré Correia Soeiro
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:25
  7. Lipid metabolites play an important role in parasite differentiation and virulence. Studies have revealed that Leishmania sp. uses prostaglandins to evade innate barriers, thus enabling the parasites to survive i...

    Authors: Maria L. A. C. Bordon, Márcia D. Laurenti, Susan Pereira Ribeiro, Marcos H. Toyama, Daniela de O. Toyama and Luiz Felipe D. Passero
    Citation: Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases 2018 24:21