Novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract

Leishmaniasis reveals itself in two forms, cutaneous and visceral, but the later exerts serious complications and may lead to death, if untreated. The availability of limited number of antileishmanial chemotherapeutic agents, the high cost of treatment, growing incidences of resistance to first line drugs as well as severe toxicities associated with the drugs complicate the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. To overcome these problems, critical investigation of new therapeutic strategies with potential antileishmanial activity and good tolerability are essential. In this review we explore the different facets of novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis with a purpose to summarize all the possible treatment tactics, which will help scientists working in this arena to implement their research in a systematic manner.