New leishmania discovery

Researchers have discovered new information about the nature of leishmania that could result in better treatment for people suffering from the disease.

Leishmania is a parasitic disease that generally occurs in sub-tropical and tropical countries.

It is transmitted through bites from female phlebotomine sandflies and can take on curable and incurable forms.

Scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre have found how the parasite is able to survive within human cells.

This could lead to prophylactic treatment for leishmania being developed.

Study leader Dr Martin Olivier wrote in the journal Science Signaling: "The infected cells act 'frozen', which hinders the body's innate inflammatory immune response and leads to infection.

"Better control over the activation of these host molecules could be one promising approach to treating leishmania as well as other infectious diseases that use similar infection strategies."

More than two million new cases of leishmania are diagnosed each year.

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