Biomarkers predict outcomes in skin leishmaniasis, study finds

Research conducted by a University of Maryland and Colombian Centro Internacional de Entrenamiento e Investigaciones Médicas (CIDEIM) team has revealed a specific biomarker (Interferon type I) that can predict a patient’s response to standard drug treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Cutaneous leishmaniasis, a severe skin infection caused by the Leishmania parasite, predominantly affects vulnerable populations in tropical and subtropical regions, including North Africa and South America. The disease currently affects nearly one million people worldwide. Despite its global impact, there is currently no vaccine available, existing treatments have a high toxicity profile, and their efficacy is limited. Specifically, meglumine antimoniate, the drug of choice, demonstrates a failure in 40-70% of patients. The team found that resistance to meglumine antimoniate positively correlates with a prolonged inflammatory state of the body, called type I interferon response, which predicts failure in the healing process of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis. It is imperative to ascertain in advance the patient’s immune status concerning a specific biomarker, with a minimum of 90% accuracy, to avoid months of expensive, ineffective, and toxic drug therapy. This would facilitate the transition from traditional therapeutic approaches, which focus on parasite elimination, to treatment methods that also consider the patient’s immune responses. The study was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications on April 4, 2025.