Table 1.
Overview of the protozoan pathogens highlighted in this review
| Pathogen | Disease(s) caused | Current treatments | Mechanism of action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plasmodium falciparum | Malaria | 4-Aminoquinolines (chloroquine, amodiaquine, piperaquine) | Inhibit heme detoxification |
| 8-Aminoquinolones (primaquine, tafenaquine) | Unknown | ||
| Aryl amino-alcohols (lumefantrine, mefloquine) | Inhibit heme detoxification | ||
| Antifolate drugs (proguanil, pyrimethamine, sulfadoxine) | Inhibit folate synthesis | ||
| Antibiotics (doxycycline, clindamycin) | Inhibit protein synthesis | ||
| Napthoquinones (atovaquone) | Inhibit cytochrome bc1 complex | ||
| Artemisinin compounds (artemisinin, artemether, dihydroartemisinin) | Oxidative stress | ||
| Trypanosoma | Chagas disease | Nitroheterocyclic drugs (nifurtimox, benznidazole) | Oxidative stress |
| Sleeping sickness | Pentamidine | Disrupts mitochondrial processes | |
| Melarsoprol | Inhibits trypanosomal redox metabolism and glycolysis | ||
| Suramin | Disrupts trypanosomal redox metabolism and glycolysis | ||
| Eflornithine | Inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase | ||
| Leishmania | Cutaneous, visceral, or mucosal leishmaniasis | Pentavalent antimonial compounds | Unclear |
| Amphotericin B | Targets the main parasite membrane sterol | ||
| Miltefosine | Interferes with cell membrane composition | ||
| Paromomycin | Inhibits protein synthesis | ||
| Toxoplasma | Flu-like illness, disseminated infection, congenital infection | Pyrimethamine | Inhibit folate synthesis |
| Sulfadiazine |