Proteases as Virulence Factors in Leishmania: Focus on Serine Proteases as Possible Therapeutic Targets

Abstract

Leishmaniasis is one of the most assorted and intricate of all vector borne diseases caused by the genus Leishmania . Survival of Leishmania parasites inside the mammalian host needs a set of virulence factors, among them, Leishmania proteases have paramount importance. Several of these proteases have been identified as potential virulence factors for their crucial roles in the invasion of the host via parasite migration through tissue barriers, degradation of host proteins for nutrition purpose, immune evasion and activation of inflammation. Hence, the investigation on proteases in Leishmania is proposed as a valuable approach to enhance our knowledge on host-parasite interaction. Through various studies, a number of metalloproteases and cysteine proteases have been implicated as major components in host invasion by modulating host cell signaling for the establishment and continuation of infection by Leishmania . But, the roles of serine proteases in leishmaniasis have not been investigated adequately. In this review, we will discuss the significance of Leishmania proteases in parasite lifecycle and their possible accountability as a new drug target with special emphasis on Leishmania serine proteases.