Research Projects

Leishmania spp, a protozoan parasite, is a major global health concern, affecting 12 million people and billion at risk. Current treatments are less effective, toxic, and expensive, and there is no proper vaccine against leishmaniasis. Research is focused on understanding how Leishmania modulates host pathways for survival. Current understanding focuses on subversion of phagosome maturation to avoid lysosome-mediated killing, manipulation of host metabolism for nutrient acquisition, and controlled inflammation. soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (sNARE) proteins mediate membrane fusions that underlie phagocytosis and autophagy. Novel non-canonical functions are linked to both sNAREs and autophagy, suggesting that Leishmania regulates host macrophage sNAREs functions and autophagy as an adaptive mechanism. Understanding these pathways could lead to the design of sNARE protein or autophagy-based therapeutic strategies to control leishmaniasis.