Open research questions in Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

What the literature leaves open

• The study faces challenges due to the lack of data on sociodemographic and environmental characteristics. The high proportion of missing laboratory data is a challenge. The study must consider the complex transmission dynamics of CL in Brazil.

  Epidemiological, Clinical, and Socioenvironmental Characteristics of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases in the Xakriabá Indigenous Population, Brazil · 2026 · DOI

• Limited efficacy and significant toxicity of current treatments. Disfiguring and refractory lesions are challenging to treat. Immunocryosurgery requires multiple cryosurgery sessions and prolonged imiquimod application, which may compromise compliance.

  Successful Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmania infantum Infection with Immunocryosurgery after Failure of the Respective Monotherapies · 2026 · DOI

• Treatment failure and clinical relapse are major challenges in leishmaniasis. The current understanding of drug responses is limited to classical resistance. Emerging technologies require careful experimental design to capture the complexity of drug responses.

  Beyond resistance: Emerging methods to dissect drug responses in Leishmania · 2026 · DOI

• The diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome is challenging due to its nonspecific manifestations. The patient presented with a rare association of hemophagocytic syndrome secondary to visceral leishmaniasis. The diagnosis was delayed due to the lack of specific symptoms.

  Síndrome Hemofagocítico Secundario a Infección por Leishmania visceral en paciente pediátrico. Una relación excepcional que representa un reto diagnóstico · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in accessing health facility records and obtaining written informed consent from all adult participants. The study had to contend with the limited availability of data on the current outbreak.

  Socio-Demographic, Clinical, and Household Environmental Profiles of Visceral and Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases in Keekonyokie Ward, Kajiado West Sub-County, Kenya · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies challenges in diagnosing and treating mucosal leishmaniasis. It highlights the need for proper management and treatment to prevent complications.

  Mucosal leishmaniasis of the nasal septum: diagnostic pitfalls and management considerations · 2026 · DOI

• Therapeutic failure to antimonials is a growing problem. The pathology in LC by L. braziliensis appears to be mediated by an exacerbated inflammatory response. The heterogeneity of laboratory methodologies and outcome definitions limited the ability to perform a quantitative meta-analysis.

  Correlación entre la respuesta inmune local y la evolución clínica en la leishmaniasis cutánea por L. braziliensis: Una revisión sistemática · 2026 · DOI

• The heterogeneity of laboratory methodologies and outcome definitions limited the ability to perform a quantitative meta-analysis. The study only included studies published in the last 10 years.

  Correlación entre la respuesta inmune local y la evolución clínica en la leishmaniasis cutánea por L. braziliensis: Una revisión sistemática · 2026 · DOI

• The complex life cycle of L. donovani and P. falciparum. Immune evasion by these parasites. The need for effective therapeutic targets.

  Chemical degradation of Human p38-MAPK reveals it as a potential host target to combat parasitic infections by Leishmania donovani and Plasmodium falciparum · 2026 · DOI

• Despite their recognized role in bacterial and viral infections, their involvement in protozoal diseases, particularly visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and HIV co-infection, remains poorly understood.

  Phenotypic characterization of mucosal-associated invariant T cells in visceral leishmaniasis and HIV co-infection · 2026 · DOI

• Limited awareness among dog owners of the need for regular screening for Leishmania spp. infection. Limited information on the effectiveness of parasiticides in preventing Leishmania infection. Lack of a standardized definition of the asymptomatic subclinical condition.

  Canine leishmaniasis seroprevalence in asymptomatic dogs: results from an epidemiological study in endemic Mediterranean countries · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of a standardized definition of the asymptomatic subclinical condition. There is limited information on the seroprevalence of canine leishmaniasis in asymptomatic dogs in Mediterranean countries.

  Canine leishmaniasis seroprevalence in asymptomatic dogs: results from an epidemiological study in endemic Mediterranean countries · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the prevalence of Leishmania species in domestic dogs in Tunisia. The study highlights the need for further research on the geographical distribution of L. infantum in Tunisia.

  Three Leishmania species identified in domestic dogs in Tunisia: New insights into canine leishmaniosis · 2026 · DOI

• Technical limitations associated with the consistent in vitro cultivation of amastigotes. The complexity of the Leishmania life cycle and the diversity of Leishmania species. The need for a better understanding of the genetic factors associated with visceralization in L. tropica.

  Investigation of viscerotropism-associated genes in Leishmania tropica strains causing visceral leishmaniasis · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of studies on the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of CL cases in indigenous populations. The study aims to fill this gap by analyzing the sociodemographic, environmental, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of CL cases in the Xakriabá indigenous population.

  Epidemiological, Clinical, and Socioenvironmental Characteristics of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Cases in the Xakriabá Indigenous Population, Brazil · 2026 · DOI

• The current therapeutic interventions for Leishmania infantum infection have limitations. There is a need for new targets and regulators to develop more effective treatments. The study aims to address this gap by identifying host immune regulatory targets and their modulators.

  Identification of host immune regulatory targets and their modulators in Leishmania infantum infection through integrated transcriptomic and molecular modeling approaches · 2026 · DOI

• The traditional epidemiological and clinical boundaries of Leishmania species are becoming increasingly blurred. There is a need for molecular diagnostics in leishmaniasis diagnosis.

  Amastigote-Negative Cutaneous Leishmaniasis without Visceral Involvement: Caused by Leishmania donovani in a Traveler to Spain: A Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Confirmed Case Report · 2026 · DOI

• Investigation of the therapeutic potential of p38-MAPK inhibitors in parasitic infections. Study of the role of p38-MAPK in other diseases, such as cancer and inflammatory diseases.

  Chemical degradation of Human p38-MAPK reveals it as a potential host target to combat parasitic infections by Leishmania donovani and Plasmodium falciparum · 2026 · DOI

• The treatment requires multiple cryosurgery sessions and prolonged imiquimod application, which may compromise compliance. The study is a single case report, and further evaluation is needed to confirm the efficacy of immunocryosurgery for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

  Successful Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmania infantum Infection with Immunocryosurgery after Failure of the Respective Monotherapies · 2026 · DOI

• The current understanding of drug responses in Leishmania is limited to classical resistance. Emerging technologies offer new opportunities for understanding a broader range of responses. There is a need to move beyond resistance-centric models to capture the complexity of drug responses.

  Beyond resistance: Emerging methods to dissect drug responses in Leishmania · 2026 · DOI

• The diagnosis of hemophagocytic syndrome is challenging due to its nonspecific manifestations. There is a need for increased awareness and recognition of hemophagocytic syndrome in pediatric patients.

  Síndrome Hemofagocítico Secundario a Infección por Leishmania visceral en paciente pediátrico. Una relación excepcional que representa un reto diagnóstico · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in chronic L. mexicana infection. Research should focus on understanding the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic response to PD-1 blockade. The development of new treatments for DCL may benefit from a better understanding of the Tex landscape.

  Immunotherapeutic potential of PD-1 blockade in chronic Leishmania mexicana infection through the enhancement of progenitor-like CXCR5+ and intermediate CXCR5+TIM-3+ exhausted T cells · 2026 · DOI

• mexicana infection in association with enhanced Th1-type immunity and remodeling of the exhausted T-cell compartment, supporting further investigation of PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade as a potential immunotherapeutic strategy for DCL.

  Immunotherapeutic potential of PD-1 blockade in chronic Leishmania mexicana infection through the enhancement of progenitor-like CXCR5+ and intermediate CXCR5+TIM-3+ exhausted T cells · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies the need for sustained and targeted interventions to eliminate kala-azar. The lack of effective diagnostics and treatment options has been a significant challenge in controlling the disease.

  The historical fight against visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) in India: From epidemic to elimination · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need for integrated public health responses to address the interplay between biological and socio-political determinants of disease. The treatment of leishmaniasis in North Africa is hindered by the expensiveness, toxicity of available drugs and the emerging threat of parasite resistance. Climate change is expanding the habitats of sandfly vectors, leading to the emergence of leishmaniasis in previously non-endemic areas.

  Leishmaniasis in North Africa; Ecological Dynamics and Control Challenges · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

• Characterization and speculations on the urbanization of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · 2008 · 75 citations
• Forum: geographic spread and urbanization of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. Introduction · Cadernos de Saúde Pública · 2008 · 65 citations
• Leishmaniasis in Humans and Animals: A One Health Approach for Surveillance, Prevention and Control in a Changing World · Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease · 2024 · 55 citations
• Illegal Waste Sites As A Potential Micro Foci Of Mediterranean Leishmaniasis: First Records Of Phlebotomine Sand Flies (Diptera: <i>Psychodidae</i>) From Slovenia · Acta veterinaria · 2015 · 23 citations
• LEISH2b - A phase 2b study to assess the safety, efficacy, and immunogenicity of the Leishmania vaccine ChAd63-KH in post-kala azar dermal leishmaniasis · Wellcome Open Research · 2022 · 16 citations
• Community Views on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Istalif, Afghanistan: Implications for Treatment and Prevention · International Quarterly of Community Health Education · 2009 · 15 citations
• Tissue-specific transcriptomic changes associated with AmBisome® treatment of BALB/c mice with experimental visceral leishmaniasis · Wellcome Open Research · 2019 · 13 citations
• Changes in the Epidemiology of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Northeastern Iran · Turkish Journal of Parasitology · 2020 · 12 citations
• A Community Based Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Concerning Leishmaniasis in Central Morocco · Journal of Community Health · 2022 · 11 citations
• Assessing public perception of a sand fly biting study on the pathway to a controlled human infection model for cutaneous leishmaniasis · Research Involvement and Engagement · 2021 · 11 citations

Most recent work

• Novel Binding Partners of the Vacuolar Transporter Chaperone (VTC) complex in Acidocalcisomes of Leishmania tarentolae · bioRxiv · 2026
• Sergentomyia (Neophlebotomus) chattiensis n. sp.: morphological and molecular description of a new sand fly species from Himachal Pradesh, India · Frontiers in Insect Science · 2026
• Knowledge, attitudes, and awareness of leishmaniasis in selected MOH areas in Sri Lanka: Perspectives from the public and healthcare officials · Ceylon Journal of Science · 2026
• Incidence and clinical patterns of cutaneous leishmaniasis at a Tertiary hospital in Hadiya Zone, Ethiopia: a hospital-based cross-sectional study · BMC Infectious Diseases · 2026
• Presumed monoclonal gammopathy and parasitized immune cells in peritoneal fluid of a dog with canine leishmaniasis · Journal of Comparative Pathology · 2026
• microRNA-721 is a host regulator of TNF-IRF1 axis in Leishmania infected macrophage · bioRxiv · 2026
• Placentas from healthy women living in a cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic region in Mexico harbor Leishmania mexicana parasites: Potential implications for pregnancy and neonatal outcomes · medRxiv · 2026
• Synthesis and anti-antileishmanial profile of novel thiazolidine-4-one derivatives and molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations studies · Scientific Reports · 2026
• Canine leishmaniasis seroprevalence in asymptomatic dogs: results from an epidemiological study in endemic Mediterranean countries · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · 2026
• Three Leishmania species identified in domestic dogs in Tunisia: New insights into canine leishmaniosis · PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026

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