Colloidal systems for antiviral drugs encapsulation: towards accessible and long-term release treatments for neglected diseases

M ALEJANDRA CASTAÑEDA CASTAÑA; MARGARITA SÁNCHEZ DOMÍNGUEZ ; CLAUDIA S SEPÚLVEDA; OSCAR E PÉREZ

Congreso; LatinXChem 2020; 2020

LatinXChem initiative

The emergence of antiviral drug-resistant mutants is the most important issue in current antiviral therapy. An ideal therapeutic target to prevent drug-resistance development is represented by host factors that are crucial for the viral life cycle. Given that viruses are obligate parasites, several host factors that are crucial for viral replication also represent antiviral therapeutic targets, referred to as the ?cell-based approach?. Poor pharmacokinetic profiles and resistance are the main two drawbacks from which currently used antiviral agents suffer, thus make them excellent targets for research, especially in the presence of viral pandemics such as DENV, ZIKV, HIV, Hepatitis. Despite the high efficiency of the human immune system, viruses are ubiquitous and versatile organisms with the potential to cause serious illnesses that require aggressive pharmacological intervention, yet existing medicines are by and large inefficient at combatting viruses, making them a target for aggressive exploration to accelerate the development of new antiviral agents. As it is known nanocarriers can provide key advantages for the in vivo delivery of drugs or molecules with therapeutic effects, such as nucleic acids and proteins, improving their efficiency and reducing potential side and toxic effects. Biodegradable and biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs) offer the ability to protect the therapeutic molecule from early degradation (i.e. before reaching the target organ or tissue), to control the release, to bypass the biological barriers and to selectively reach the action site.https://doi.org/10.26226/morressier.5f6c5f439b74b699bf390b65