The mortality rate of
leishmaniasis is increasing at an alarming rate and is currently second to
malaria amongst the other
neglected tropical diseases. Unfortunately, many governments and key stakeholders are not investing enough in the development of new therapeutic interventions. The available treatment options targeting different pathways of the parasite have seen inefficiencies, drug resistance, and toxic side effects coupled with longer treatment durations. Numerous studies to understand the biochemistry of
leishmaniasis and its pathogenesis have identified druggable targets including
ornithine decarboxylase,
trypanothione reductase, and
pteridine reductase, which are relevant for the survival and growth of the parasites. Another plausible target is the
sterol biosynthetic pathway; however, this has not been fully investigated.
Sterol biosynthesis is essential for the survival of the Leishmania species because its inhibition could lead to the death of the parasites. This review seeks to evaluate how critical the
enzymes involved in
sterol biosynthetic pathway are to the survival of the leishmania parasite. The review also highlights both synthetic and
natural product compounds with their IC50 values against selected
enzymes. Finally, recent advancements in
drug design strategies targeting the
sterol biosynthesis pathway of Leishmania are discussed.