Adaptation of targeted nanocarriers to changing requirements in antimalarial drug delivery

The adaptation of existing antimalarial nanocarriers to new Plasmodium stages, drugs, targeting molecules, or encapsulating structures is a strategy that can provide new nanotechnology-based, cost-efficient therapies against malaria. We have explored the modification of different liposome prototypes that had been developed in our group for the targeted delivery of antimalarial drugs to Plasmodium-infected red blood cells (pRBCs). These new models include: (i) immunoliposome-mediated release of new lipid-based antimalarials; (ii) liposomes targeted to pRBCs with covalently linked heparin to reduce anticoagulation risks; (iii) adaptation of heparin to pRBC targeting of chitosan nanoparticles; (iv) use of heparin for the targeting of Plasmodium stages in the mosquito vector; and (v) use of the non-anticoagulant glycosaminoglycan chondroitin 4-sulfate as a heparin surrogate for pRBC targeting. The results presented indicate that the tuning of existing nanovessels to new malaria-related targets is a valid low-cost alternative to the de novo development of targeted nanosystems.

Palavras-chave

Glycosaminoglycans Malaria Nanomedicine Plasmodium Targeted drug delivery Bioengineering Medicine (miscellaneous) Molecular Medicine Biomedical Engineering General Materials Science Pharmaceutical Science SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

URI

http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85009876187&partnerID=8YFLogxK

DOI

10.1016/j.nano.2016.09.010

Coleções

IHMT: PM - Artigos em revista internacional com arbitragem científica

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