Nanotechnology Applications in Antimalarial Drug Delivery

Malaria remains a major global health challenge exacerbated by parasite resistance, poor drug solubility and off-target toxicity. Nanotechnology offers a platform to enhance pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of antimalarial agents through the design of nanoscale carriers that can encapsulate therapeutic molecules, protect them from premature degradation and deliver them selectively to infected tissues. Strategies include liposomal vehicles that fuse with cellular membranes, polymeric nanoparticles that provide controlled release, dendrimer scaffolds enabling multivalent drug conjugation and mesoporous silica matrices offering high loading capacity. Functionalisation with targeting ligands such as peptides, antibodies or glycosaminoglycans directs these carriers to Plasmodium-infected red blood cells or specific life-cycle stages, while biomimetic approaches—using cell membranes or heparin analogues—can trap free merozoites or stimulate immune recognition. Such advances aim to lower systemic drug dosages, circumvent resistance mechanisms, reduce side effects and improve outcomes in both the human host and the mosquito vector, ultimately contributing to eradication efforts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Researchers have explored heparin-like sulfated polysaccharides derived from marine organisms as dual-function nanomaterials capable of inhibiting erythrocyte invasion and priming immune responses without significant anticoagulant activity. These compounds coat Plasmodium merozoites to prevent red cell entry and prolong parasite exposure to host defences, offering a novel adjunct to conventional therapies. Separately, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) functionalised with silane moieties have been developed to encapsulate quinine and artemisinin derivatives, achieving enhanced in vitro potency against Plasmodium strains and improved survival in murine infection models. Surface engineering of these silica frameworks optimises drug release kinetics and cellular uptake, demonstrating a promising route for rational design of next-generation antimalarial nanocarriers.

Nanotechnology Applications in Antimalarial Drug Delivery publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanotechnology applications in antimalarial drug delivery across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanocarrier: A nanoscale vehicle designed to encapsulate, protect and deliver therapeutic agents to specific cells or tissues.

Polymeric nanoparticles: Nanospheres or nanocapsules composed of biodegradable polymers that enable controlled drug release.

Mesoporous silica: A highly porous inorganic material with tunable pore sizes used for high-capacity drug loading.

Biomimetic nanodecoy: A nanoparticle coated with biological membranes or ligands to mimic host cells and evade immune clearance.

Encapsulation efficiency: The proportion of drug successfully loaded into a carrier relative to the initial amount used.

Targeting ligand: A molecule attached to a nanocarrier that binds to specific receptors on target cells to enhance uptake.

References

1. Erythrocyte membrane with CLIPPKF as biomimetic nanodecoy traps merozoites and attaches to infected red blood cells to prevent Plasmodium infection. Journal of Nanobiotechnology (2023).
2. Promising nanomaterials in the fight against malaria. Journal of Materials Chemistry B (2020).
3. Marine organism sulfated polysaccharides exhibiting significant antimalarial activity and inhibition of red blood cell invasion by Plasmodium. Scientific Reports (2016).
4. Curcumin-Artesunate Based Polymeric Nanoparticle; Antiplasmodial and Toxicological Evaluation in Murine Model. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018).
5. Micelle carriers based on dendritic macromolecules containing bis-MPA and glycine for antimalarial drug delivery. Biomaterials Science (2019).
6. Adaptation of targeted nanocarriers to changing requirements in antimalarial drug delivery. Nanomedicine Nanotechnology Biology and Medicine (2016).
7. Mesoporous silica nanocarriers encapsulated antimalarials with high therapeutic performance. Scientific Reports (2018).