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Recent Advances in the Treatment of Parasitic Diseases: Current Status and Future

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Natural Product Based Drug Discovery Against Human Parasites

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Abstract

As per World Health Organization (WHO), parasitic diseases significantly threaten global health. Diminishing boundaries have contributed to its spread beyond the geographical limits of the tropical and subtropical regions. Additionally, the overuse of conventional antiparasitic drugs has led to a reduction in their effectiveness in the treatment of these diseases. Advances in metabolomics and system biology approaches have led to a better understanding of parasite biology for identifying appropriate drug targets. DNA/RNA-based molecular techniques, Proteomic approaches, Bioinformatics tools, advanced Nano-technological fabrications and Epigenetics based host–pathogen interactions tactics offer new dimensions towards treating parasitic diseases. Drug repurposing is also emerging as an effective alternative in discovering/developing drug molecules with new pharmacological/therapeutic indications. This chapter explores various strategies for assessing and developing new drug discovery patterns. In this chapter, we have emphasized recent technological advances in the treatment of parasitic diseases through the identification of new drug targets, structural genomics, Nanotechnology based therapeutic options (dendrimers, micelles, lipid NPs, capsules etc. as potential delivery systems), Metabolic pathways (Meglumine antimonite, Paromomycin for treating leishmania) and molecular dynamics (MD) with simulations.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Dr. A.K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity University, for his continuous motivation and encouragement and Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor Amity University and Officiating Director, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University for providing the supporting infrastructure for preparation of this review chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Archna Kumar,  Deepika, Shivani Sharda & Anupama Avasthi

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  1. Archna Kumar
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  2. Deepika
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  3. Shivani Sharda
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  4. Anupama Avasthi
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Correspondence to Anupama Avasthi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Molecular Biology & Delhi School of Climate Change, University of Delhi (South Campus), New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Archana Singh

  2. Department of Chemistry & Delhi School of Public Health, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

    Brijesh Rathi

  3. Department of Zoology & Delhi School of Public Health, Kirorimal College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

    Anita K. Verma

  4. Molecular Biology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology & Delhi School of Public Health, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Indrakant K. Singh

Glossary

Antimicrobial peptides

Class of small peptides that widely exist in nature.

Apicomplexa

Are a large phylum of parasitic alveolates.

Artemisinin

A terpene-based antimalarial substance used in Chinese medicine.

Bioprospecting

Exploration of natural sources for small molecules that change into commercially valuable products.

Cytotoxicity

Toxicity caused due to action of chemotherapeutic agents on living cells.

Dendrimers

A synthetic polymer with a structure of repeatedly branching chains.

Drug Repurposing

Drug utilized for treatment for a different diseases from the one it was initially discovered or designed.

Epigenetics

Study of heritable phenotype changes.

Epigenetic landscape

Is concept representing embryonic development.

Etiopathologies

Consideration of the cause of an abnormal state or finding.

Interactome networks

Network that contains ideally all possible PPIs in a specific organism.

Macrolide

Class of natural products that consist of a large macrocyclic lactone ring to which one or more deoxy sugars.

Metabolomics

The scientific study of the set of metabolites presents within an organism, cell, or tissue.

Macrophage

A large phagocytic cell found in stationary form in the tissues.

Microarrays

A set of DNA sequences representing the entire set of genes of an organism.

Miltefosine

Treat leishmaniasis and free-living amoeba infections.

nc RNA

Non-coding RNA.

Nanotechnology

Branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometres.

Natural products

Small molecules produced naturally by any organism.

Parasitic diseases

Any illness that is caused by a parasite, an organism that lives in or on another organism.

Schistosomes

A parasitic flatworm which needs two hosts to complete its life cycle.

Simeprevir

Medication used in combination with other medications for the treatment of hepatitis C.

Terpenoids

Any of a large class of organic compounds including terpenes, diterpenes, and sesquiterpenes.

Theranostics

The combination of using one radioactive drug to diagnose, and a second radioactive drug.

Transcriptome

The sum total of all the messenger RNA molecules expressed from the genes of an organism.

Trypanosomatids

Protozoan parasites.

Vitelline cells

A membrane enclosing an egg that comprises the zona pellucida in mammals.

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Kumar, A., Deepika, Sharda, S., Avasthi, A. (2023). Recent Advances in the Treatment of Parasitic Diseases: Current Status and Future. In: Singh, A., Rathi, B., Verma, A.K., Singh, I.K. (eds) Natural Product Based Drug Discovery Against Human Parasites. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9605-4_13

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