Purinergic signaling and infection by Leishmania: A new approach to evasion of the immune response

Infection by protozoan parasites is part of the most common Tropical Neglected Diseases. In the case of leishmaniasis, several millions of people are at risk of contracting the disease. In spite of innumerous studies that elucidated the immune response capable of killing the parasite, the understanding of the evasion mechanisms utilized by the parasite to survive within the very cell responsible for its destruction is still incomplete. In this review, we offer a new approach to the control of the immune response against the parasite. The ability of the parasite to modulate the levels of extracellular ATP and adenosine either by directly acting on the levels of these molecules or by inducing the expression of CD39 and CD73 on the infected cell may influence the magnitude of the immune response against the parasite contributing to its growth and survival.