Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Systems for Antiviral Therapeutics

Nanoparticle drug delivery systems have emerged as a transformative platform for antiviral therapy, offering precise control over pharmacokinetics, targeted release and the ability to surmount physiological barriers. By encapsulating or conjugating antiviral agents within nanometre‐sized carriers—such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, lipid-based nanostructures and inorganic nanocarriers—researchers can enhance solubility, protect labile compounds from degradation and achieve sustained or stimuli-responsive release. Surface functionalisation with ligands, antibodies or polymers permits active targeting to infected cells or tissue reservoirs, while the intrinsic properties of some nanomaterials confer virucidal activity. These systems can improve bioavailability, reduce systemic toxicity and facilitate drug penetration into sanctuaries such as the central nervous system. In the context of HIV, hepatitis, herpesviruses and emerging pathogens like SARS-CoV-2, nanoparticle delivery offers opportunities to overcome drug resistance, lower dosing frequency and accelerate therapeutic responses. Globally, the refinement of scalable manufacturing, biocompatible materials and regulatory pathways is rapidly advancing nanoparticle antivirals from bench to bedside, with the potential to reshape pandemic preparedness and chronic infection management.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Researchers have developed an accelerated, small‐scale screening platform to explore extensive libraries of solid drug nanoparticles, enabling rapid identification of promising paediatric HIV formulations. This approach employs milligram‐scale synthesis and iterative pharmacological evaluation to pinpoint stable, aqueous dispersions of antiretroviral solid particles suitable for clinical translation. By combining high-throughput screening with design-of-experiments methods, candidate formulations have progressed efficiently towards scaled manufacture and regulatory approval, exemplifying a model for fast-track development of next-generation antiviral nanotherapies.

Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Systems for Antiviral Therapeutics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle drug delivery systems for antiviral therapeutics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanoparticle: A particle with one or more dimensions below 100 nanometres, used to transport therapeutic agents and modulate their release and distribution.

Liposome: A spherical vesicle composed of phospholipid bilayers, capable of encapsulating hydrophilic or hydrophobic drugs and enhancing cellular uptake.

Solid drug nanoparticle: A sub-micron solid form of a drug compound stabilised by surfactants or polymers, improving solubility and oral bioavailability.

Biodistribution: The spatial and temporal distribution of a drug or carrier within the body’s tissues and organs.

Bioavailability: The proportion of an administered dose of a drug that reaches systemic circulation in an active form.

Targeted delivery: The strategic modification of a carrier’s surface or composition to preferentially direct therapeutics to specific cells, tissues or intracellular compartments.

References

1. Tenofovir-tethered gold nanoparticles as a novel multifunctional long-acting anti-HIV therapy to overcome deficient drug delivery-: an in vivo proof of concept. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2023).
2. Nanomedicine for the Treatment of Viral Diseases: Smaller Solution to Bigger Problems. Pharmaceutics (2024).
3. Development of nanoparticle-delivery systems for antiviral agents: A review. Journal of Controlled Release (2021).
4. Accelerated oral nanomedicine discovery from miniaturized screening to clinical production exemplified by paediatric HIV nanotherapies. Nature Communications (2016).