Review of the Current Landscape of the Potential of Nanotechnology for Future Malaria Diagnosis, Treatment, and Vaccination Strategies

Abstract

Malaria eradication has for decades been on the global health agenda, but the causative agents of the disease, several species of the protist parasite Plasmodium, have evolved mechanisms to evade vaccine-induced immunity and to rapidly acquire resistance against all drugs entering clinical use. Because classical antimalarial approaches have consistently failed, new strategies must be explored. One of these is nanomedicine, the application of manipulation and fabrication technology in the range of molecular dimensions between 1 and 100 nm, to the development of new medical solutions. Here we review the current state of the art in malaria diagnosis, prevention, and therapy and how nanotechnology is already having an incipient impact in improving them. In the second half of this review, the next generation of antimalarial drugs currently in the clinical pipeline is presented, with a definition of these drugs’ target product profiles and an assessment of the potential role of nanotechnology in their development. Opinions extracted from interviews with experts in the fields of nanomedicine, clinical malaria, and the economic landscape of the disease are included to offer a wider scope of the current requirements to win the fight against malaria and of how nanoscience can contribute to achieve them.

Nanostructured carrier systems facilitating enhanced delivery of 8-(4-Amino-1 methylbutylamino)-6 methoxyquinoline: a narrative review

“…Liposomes have been widely used as drug delivery systems due to their biocompatibility, low toxicity, and ability to improve pharmacokinetics. Liposomal 8-(4-Amino-1methylbutylamino)-6-methoxyquinoline may provide sustained release and decrease side effects [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] .…”

“…Nanotechnology has revolutionized drug delivery systems, facilitating the targeted transportation of 8-(4-Amino-1-methylbutylamino)-6-methoxyquinoline (AMBQ) to specific bodily regions. Various nanostructured carriers, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), and dendrimers, offer innovative avenues for encapsulating and releasing AMBQ in a controlled manner [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] . Liposomes, composed of phospholipid bilayer vesicles, excel in encapsulating both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs.…”

“…Additionally, the protective nature of these carriers plays a pivotal role in preserving AMBQ from enzymatic degradation, ensuring a greater proportion of the compound reaches its intended target site in the body, thereby amplifying its therapeutic efficacy [5][6][7][8] . Furthermore, targeted delivery systems offer a strategic advantage by enabling the selective delivery of AMBQ to specific tissues or cells, thereby enhancing its local concentration while minimizing systemic side effects [9] .…”

Meeting the Needs of a Potent Carrier for Malaria Treatment: Encapsulation of Artemisone in Poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) Micro‐ and Nanoparticles

“…[7] To overcome these drawbacks, studies have been carried out to incorporate the drug into various types of nanoand microcarriers. [8][9][10] Different types of carriers such as liposomes and polymeric particles have been evaluated for the controlled delivery of drugs. [11][12][13] Specifically, great attention is drawn toward the polymeric nano-and microparticles as drug delivery systems due to their controlled and sustained drug delivery behavior.…”

Editorial: Special Issue Development of Micro and Nano Systems for the Drug Delivery

“…In this Issue, I have collected ten research papers and four review articles trying to describe the technologies that have evolved in the past ten years for the development of micro and nano systems for drug carry, targeting and delivery. The review papers included research scenarios of nano-emulsions formulations for nose-to-brain delivery, taking into account that the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is one of the major issues and limiting the drugs targeting the brain [ 1 ]; the bio-inspired and in situ self-assembly of polypeptides recently proposed for potential challenges in clinical treatment [ 2 ]; nanoparticles inducing ferroptosis for tumor targeting and immunomodulation [ 3 ]; and different nanomedicine approaches to clinical malaria [ 4 ] in order to better explain how nanoscience can contribute to achieve solutions. On the other hand, for an accurate device formulation and engineering, its size tailoring and drug encapsulation efficiency are, in several cases, still a technological challenge for the near future.…”