Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent a set of communicable diseases affecting around one billion people worldwide, living mainly in low-income countries. Additionally, people living in close contact with vectors of infectious diseases, including wild and domestic animals, and without sanitation are the ones most affected. Thus, populations in contact with pathogens can develop different NTDs, such as leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, sleeping sickness, schistosomiasis, chromoblastomycosis, dengue fever, and onchocerciasis, among others.

Although the biological cycle of NTDs etiological agents are well-known, there is little accumulated information about the interaction between the infectious agents and innate as well as acquired immunity in the majority of NTDs. This type of data is important because it is the basis of understanding how morphophysiological changes take place in the host, and is also key to designing prophylactic strategies, such as vaccines and adjuvants as well as effective therapeutic interventions, diagnostic tests, and clinical management.

This Special Issue therefore aims to highlight the latest advances in the interactions between infectious agents that cause NTDs and the genetic and immunological background of the host, with a special focus on the role of innate and acquired immune responses using in vitro and in vivo approaches. Studies with a central focus on the immunopathology of NTDs are welcome, as is the case of immunoprophylaxis, adjuvant development, histopathology, advances in diagnosis, and new therapeutic strategies. We also welcome review articles as well as original research.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Infections caused by infectious agents of NTDs
• Microbe and host cell relationship
• Role of innate and acquired immune cells in NTDs
• Participation of mediators of inflammation in NTDs
• Role of host and infectious agent proteins and how they can modulate inflammatory responses
• Histopathology and immunopathology
• Vaccine development
• Therapeutic strategies directed to NTDs
• Immunomodulatory drugs and administration to NTDs
• Advances in immunological, parasitological, and molecular diagnosis of NTDs