The diagnosis and prognosis of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
infection has been revolutionized through advances and development in the field of
nanotechnology. Since its onset in the early 1980s, HIV has gradually attained
‘pandemic’ status and increased the need for efficacy in the rapid identification and
treatment of AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Despite the triple-drug
therapy initiated by the next decade in the 1990s, the number of affected individuals
increased to 2.8 million, and developing countries faced this crisis on multiple fronts.
Today, a range of antiretroviral drugs are available with reduced toxicities and
improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, along with improvement in
diagnostic tools and kits, which have been made possible largely due to the
advancement of nanotechnology. We have divided this chapter into the following three
sections:
• HIV pathogenesis
• Nanotechnology and the need for innovation
• Role of nanotechnology in HIV diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapy
In section I, the disease characteristics of HIV infection and the viral life cycle are
discussed, and the possible target sites for therapeutic intervention are also assessed.
The second section delves into the basics of nanoscience and the myriad of possibilities
that it offers. The pros and cons of nanotechnology-based therapeutics, along with the
need for newer, rapid, and realistic approaches to tackle HIV infection, are explored.
Section III examines the various advancements and trends in the diagnosis of the
disease condition through nanotechnology-based applications, materials, and tools.
This section then progresses to the critical aspects of drug delivery and therapy and concludes by outlining the potential for the development of future nano-based
antiretroviral therapies.
Keywords: Antiretroviral Drug Development, HIV, Infectious Diseases,
Nanomedicine, Nanotechnology, Viruses.
