Validation of quantitative real-time PCR for the in vitro assessment of antileishmanial drug activity

► The macrophage-amastigote model is used for testing drugs against Leishmania species. ► The activity of the test drug is measured by microscopic counting. ► Microscopic counting is a time-consuming and subjective method of analysis. ► qPCR assay replaces readouts of number of amastigote per macrophages by DNA load measurement. ► qPCR assay increase the throughput of drug screening using intracellular amastigotes assays.