This review discusses the potential of metal-based compounds to act as safe and affordable drugs in the treatment of important tropical parasitic illnesses such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, and malaria. Currently, half the world’s population is estimated to be at risk of contracting these vector-borne diseases, and almost one million people die annually from these diseases. No effective vaccine exists to treat these infectious diseases and available treatments are far from ideal. Coordination metal complexes offer potential in the development of new antiparasitic drugs. Indeed, coordination compounds in medicine are a growing and exciting research field, having been used successfully in cancer therapy. As an antiparasitic agent, ferroquine has entered phase II clinical trials against malaria and is an excellent example to encourage the development of antiparasitic metal-based drugs. Insights into the mechanism of actions of metal-based antiparasitic drugs are discussed.
© 2015 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies.