Antimony-Based Therapy of Leishmaniases, Molecular and Cellular Rationale.

Pentavalent antimonials have been used for decades as first-line compounds against leishmaniasis. The search for the molecular basis of antimony-based treatment against the parasite has long time eluded all investigators' efforts. In the last two decades, many causes of both antimonials action and resistance toward these drugs on a molecular level have been identified. Both mechanisms of action and of resistance are multifactorial, the first depending on the effect on different targets, and the second on different strategies used by the parasite to escape the killing actions of antimonials.