NEW MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ASPECTS OF INFECTION BY LEISHMANIA

The intracellular parasite Leishmania is distributed worldwide and aff ects more than 12 million people, Cases of leishmaniasis al-e increasi ng and their treatment is complicated by the emergence of drug resista nce, Understanding the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance should permit the development of tests to detect resistance early during infe ction, to suggest novel therapeutic avenues or to pinpoint novel intra cellular targets, To control the infection more efficiently, a better understanding of the mechanisms of intracellular survival is required, It is now possible to introduce exogenous DNA into Leishmania using e lectroporation, The transfected DNA can be maintained as an episome or can integrate into the genome by homologous recombination. Gene targe ting permits to inactivate genes that could yield attenuated parasites for use in the generation of live vaccines, A better understanding of the mechanisms used by the parasite to survive within the macrophages and to subvert the immune response by altering the transductional mec hanisms of the host cells, may lead to the identification of new cellu lar targets from the parasite or the macrophage that will permit the d evelopment of new therapies, Overall these studies should provide a be tter understanding of the biology of this parasite which is necessary for its control and eradication.