AUTHOR=Varikuti Sanjay , Jha Bijay Kumar , Volpedo Greta , Ryan Nathan M. , Halsey Gregory , Hamza Omar M. , McGwire Bradford S. , Satoskar Abhay R. 

TITLE=Host-Directed Drug Therapies for Neglected Tropical Diseases Caused by Protozoan Parasites

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02655

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.02655

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) caused by protozoan parasites are a major global health problem and are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Current treatments using anti-parasitic drugs are toxic and prolonged with poor patient compliance. In addition, emergence of drug-resistant parasites is rapidly increasing worldwide. Hence, there is a strong need for safer and better therapeutics for these infections. Host-directed therapy using drugs that target host pathways required for pathogen survival or its clearance is considered as a promising approach for treating infections. This review will give summary of current status and advances of host-targeted therapies for treating NTDs caused by protozoa.