Supported projects

Visceral leishmaniasis is an emerging disease in France with expected impact at veterinary and medical levels. Dogs are an important animal reservoir for efficient zoonotic transmission to humans. In the absence of vaccination, chemotherapy remains the only control measure. Current drugs are often used to treat both humans and dogs, increasing the risk of human therapeutic failure. This collaborative project aims to evaluate (i) the risk of drug cross-resistance between dog and human chemotherapies, and (ii) the stability of the drug resistant phenotype throughout the parasite life cycle, including the insect vector, and human as well as canine hosts. New insight into drug resistance mechanisms along the parasite life cycle should allow to propose optimal therapeutic strategies for human and veterinary applications.