Emerging nanotechnology approaches for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention

Abstract

Currently, there is no cure and no preventive vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Combination antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved treatment, but it has to be taken for a lifetime, has major side effects and is ineffective in patients in whom the virus develops resistance. Nanotechnology is an emerging multidisciplinary field that is revolutionizing medicine in the 21st century. It has a vast potential to radically advance the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. In this review, we discuss the challenges with the current treatment of the disease and shed light on the remarkable potential of nanotechnology to provide more effective treatment and prevention for HIV/AIDS by advancing antiretroviral therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, vaccinology and microbicides.

Figure 1

Schematic representation of various nanotechnology platforms that can be used in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.

Figure 2. Mechanism for siRNA-based gene therapy of HIV/AIDS

The siRNA acts by degrading mRNA in at least two major ways: (A) Inhibit entry and fusion by interfering with production of receptors or co-receptors and (B) interfere with translation and transcription of viral genes preventing production of proteins and genomic RNA. (The viral entry and replication stages shown here are also the targets for the antiretroviral drugs discussed above [29]).