Advancing Treatment for Leishmaniasis: From Overcoming Challenges to Embracing Therapeutic Innovations.

Protozoan parasite infections, particularly leishmaniasis, present significant public health challenges in tropical and subtropical regions, affecting socio-economic status and growth. Despite advancements in immunology, effective vaccines remain vague, leaving drug treatments as the primary intervention. However, existing medications face limitations, such as toxicity and the rise of drug-resistant parasites.

E-box independent chromatin recruitment turns MYOD into a transcriptional repressor.

MYOD is an E-box sequence-specific basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) transcriptional activator that, when expressed in non-muscle cells, induces nuclear reprogramming toward skeletal myogenesis by promoting chromatin accessibility at previously silent loci. Here, we report on the identification of a previously unrecognized property of MYOD as repressor of gene expression, via E-box-independent chromatin binding within accessible genomic elements, which invariably leads to reduced chromatin accessibility. MYOD-mediated repression requires the integrity of functional domains previously implicated in MYOD-mediated activation of gene expression.

Association Between Type 2 Diabetes and Hypogonadism in India: An Observational Study.

Introduction: Hypogonadism is a common comorbidity associated with several metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes (T2D) that can remain undetected without proper screening. Here, we evaluated the prevalence of hypogonadism in Indian male patients with T2D with or without obesity.

Methods: In this prospective, observational study, male patients with T2D and hypogonadism were evaluated symptomatically using the androgen deficiency in ageing male (ADAM) questionnaire at baseline and confirmed on the basis of total testosterone (TT) levels (<300 ng/dL) at Days 5-7 (Visit 2) and 9-14 (Visit 4) assessed after 12 hours of fasting between 8 AM and 10 AM.

Characterization of differentially regulated carboxypeptidase (metallopeptidase M32) protein in Miltefosine resistant Leishmania donovani parasites.

Introduction: Carboxypeptidase, a member of the metallopeptidase M32 family, catalyses the C-terminal hydrolysis of a variety of peptides and proteins in the presence of metal ions.

Objective: To characterize Leishmania donovani carboxypeptidase (LdCP) in miltefosine (MIL) drug-resistant parasites.

Methods: We performed the MTT assay and cell cycle analysis to confirm the MIL resistance of clinical isolates.

Anti-leishmanial therapies: overcoming current challenges with emerging therapies.

Introduction: Leishmaniasis, including visceral, cutaneous, and mucocutaneous forms, present a major health challenge in tropical regions. Current antileishmanial medications has significant limitations, creating a critical need for novel therapies that are safe and cost-effective with a shorter duration of treatment.

Areas Covered: This review explores the critical aspects of existing antileishmanial therapy and targets for future therapeutic developments.