Evaluation of biomarkers to monitor therapeutic intervention against visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract Among different tropical diseases, visceral leishmaniasis/kala-azar is the utmost deadly disease. The transmission of leishmaniasis occur through various species of Phlebotomus spp. (sandfly). Major risk factors responsible for severity of leishmaniasis involve socioeconomic conditions, environmental changes, malnutrition, climate changes, population mobility, etc. Combination of proper treatment and prevention strategies could reduce the risk of leishmaniasis. Development of vaccines against different strains of Leishmania could be a novel and best strategy for treating leishmaniasis. For understanding the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis, identification of novel biomarkers as targets, as indicators of the extent of infection, tracking the progression of disease could be of great advantage. With advances in development of different strategies for treatment of leishmaniasis, the complete genome sequence of Leishmania has provided a possibility for extensive study, research and identification for novel drug targets and biomarkers.