Topoisomerase research of kinetoplastid parasite Leishmania, with special reference to development of therapeutics.

Protozoan parasites of the order Kinetoplastida cause severe diseases primarily in the tropical and subtropical areas. The enormous development of molecular and cellular biology in recent times have provided opportunities for discovering newer molecular targets for drug designing, which now form a rational basis for the development of improved anti-parasitic therapy. DNA topoisomerases play a key role in cellular processes affecting the topology and organization of intracellular DNA. Recently, emergence of the bi-subunit topoisomerase I in the kinetoplastid family has brought a new twist in topoisomerase research related to evolution, functional conservation and as a potential target that can be exploited in drug designing and development of new intervention strategies. This review summarizes the biology of kinetoplastid topoisomerases, which are the key molecular targets in antileishmanial chemotherapy.