Three decades of clinical trials on immunotherapy for human leishmaniases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: Current treatments for leishmaniases are not satisfactory, thus alternatives are needed. We searched for clinical trials with immunotherapeutic approaches for patients with leishmaniasis. Materials & methods: Out of 205 articles, 24 clinical trials were selected, and eight submitted to meta-analysis. Results: A reduction in healing time was observed in patients with tegumentary leishmaniasis treated with pentavalent antimony plus granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and therapeutic vaccines. Overall meta-analysis indicated that immunotherapy associated with the standard chemotherapy generated a significantly reduced risk of treatment failure than the pentavalent antimony alone (p = 0.03). Conclusion: Our review confirmed the efficacy of immunotherapies for the treatment of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis and highlighted the importance of clinical trials using immunotherapies for leishmaniases.