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Review
. 2024 Sep 11:12:1423420.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1423420. eCollection 2024.

Shared challenges to the control of complex intracellular neglected pathogens

Rebecca Lynn Perez  1   2 , Jemima Chase  2 , Rachel Tanner  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Shared challenges to the control of complex intracellular neglected pathogens

Rebecca Lynn Perez et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

The complex intracellular pathogens Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, Leishmania spp., and Burkholderia pseudomallei, which cause tuberculosis, leprosy, leishmaniasis, and melioidosis respectively, represent major health threats with a significant global burden concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. While these diseases vary in their aetiology, pathology and epidemiology, they share key similarities in the biological and sociodemographic factors influencing their incidence and impact worldwide. In particular, their occurrence in resource-limited settings has important implications for research and development, disease prevalence and associated risk factors, as well as access to diagnostics and therapeutics. In accordance with the vision of the VALIDATE (VAccine deveLopment for complex Intracellular neglecteD pAThogeEns) Network, we consider shared challenges to the effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases as shaped by both biological and social factors, illustrating the importance of taking an interdisciplinary approach. We further highlight how a cross-pathogen perspective may provide valuable insights for understanding and addressing challenges to the control of all four pathogens.

Keywords: intracellular pathogens; leishmaniasis; leprosy; melioidosis; tuberculosis; vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Highest-burden countries (cumulatively making up >70% of the burden of disease) classed by income group (as classified by The World Bank) for each of the exemplar diseases discussed. Color scale reflects estimated incidence per 100,000 population. *Islamic Republic of Iran. SAR = Syrian Arab Republic, DRC = Democratic Republic of the Congo (19, 214–216).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Main infection routes, host cells infected and pathologies associated with each of the four exemplar pathogens discussed. Created using BioRender.
Figure 3
Figure 3
A summary of the shared challenges to effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the four exemplar complex intracellular neglected pathogens and their interactions. Created using BioRender.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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