ABSTRACT
The protozoan parasites of genus Leishmania are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a potentially fatal disease which is endemic in 98 countries and represents a serious health problem worldwide. There are two major pathways towards improved leishmaniasis treatment. Firstly, the development of novel drug candidates represents a valuable resource to improve current therapies. Secondly, a recently adopted drug discovery strategy in the field of parasitic infection is the so-called ‘repurposing strategy’, which focuses on the development and validation of novel uses for existing drugs. This chapter provides an overview of novel enzyme targets which have been recently identified as biological junctions in leishmaniasis, namely histone deacetylases, carbonic anhydrases, topoisomerases and phosphodiesterases. Relevant medicinal chemistry studies in the search of new therapeutic hit compounds and treatments are also detailed. The chapter discusses novel drug discovery strategies and new uses of marketed drugs, i.e., the ‘repurposing strategy’, specifically within the context of neglected diseases.
