Route map for the discovery and pre-clinical development of new drugs and treatments for cutaneous leishmaniasis

• Published in: International journal for parasitology -- drugs and drug resistance 2019-12, Vol.11, p.106-117
• Main Authors: Caridha, Diana, Vesely, Brian, van Bocxlaer, Katrien, Arana, Byron, Mowbray, Charles E., Rafati, Sima, Uliana, Silvia, Reguera, Rosa, Kreishman-Deitrick, Mara, Sciotti, Richard, Buffet, Pierre, Croft, Simon L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Disease Models, Animal; Drug development; Drug discovery; Drug Discovery - methods; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Formulations; Humans; Immunomodulatory drugs; In vitro assays; In vivo models; Includes articles from the special issue “Novel therapies for cutaneous leishmaniasis”, pp. 106 - 179; Leishmania - drug effects; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous - drug therapy; Mice; Pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 2211-3207; 2211-3207
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.06.003

Although there have been significant advances in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and several novel compounds are currently in pre-clinical and clinical development for this manifestation of leishmaniasis, there have been limited advances in drug research and development (R & D) for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). Here we review the need for new treatments for CL, describe in vitro and in vivo assays, models and approaches taken over the past decade to establish a pathway for the discovery, and pre-clinical development of new drugs for CL. These recent advances include novel mouse models of infection using bioluminescent Leishmania, the introduction of PK/PD approaches to skin infection, and defined pre-clinical candidate profiles. [Display omitted]