Leishmania is a vector-borne pathogenic parasite found in 88 countries worldwide and is the causative agent of leishmaniasis. The different Leishmania species infect macrophages and dendritic cells of the host immune system, causing symptoms that range from disfiguring cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions, widespread destruction of mucous membranes, or visceral disease affecting the haemopoetic organs. The recent publication of the complete genome sequences of three different Leishmania species provides new insights into this important pathogen and presents scientists with a vital resource to increase the understanding of Leishmania molecular and cellular biology.

A new book, Leishmania: After The Genome, has been published recently reviewing the most important aspects of current Leishmania research, providing the first coherent picture of the organism's molecular and cellular biology since the publication of the genome sequence. The book covers a range of Leishmania-specific aspects of trypanosomatid biology and pathology. Topics include: diagnosis and epidemiology, genome structure and content, regulation of gene expression, the proteome, the metabolome, differentiation, interaction with the sand fly vector, drug discovery and drug resistance.

Further reading Leishmania: After The Genome