Background: Leishmania inhibits oxidative burst-mediated apoptosis of macrophages during phagocytosis. Results: L. donovani induces (SOCS) 1 and 3, which suppress macrophage apoptosis through thioredoxin-mediated stabilization of protein-tyrosine phosphatases. Conclusion: Leishmania exploits macrophage SOCS proteins for inhibition of apoptosis, thus protecting its niche for survival and replication. © 2014 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. .