Nanomedicine Approaches Against Parasitic Worm Infections.
Nanomedicine approaches have the potential to transform the battle against parasitic worm (helminth) infections, a major global health scourge from which billions are currently suffering. It is anticipated that the intersection of two currently disparate fields, nanomedicine and helminth biology, will constitute a new frontier in science and technology. This progress report surveys current innovations in these research fields and discusses research opportunities. In particular, the focus is on: (1) major challenges that helminth infections impose on mankind; (2) key aspects of helminth biology that inform future research directions; (3) efforts to construct nanodelivery platforms to target drugs and genes to helminths hidden in their hosts; (4) attempts in applying nanotechnology to enable vaccination against helminth infections; (5) outlooks in utilizing nanoparticles to enhance immunomodulatory activities of worm-derived factors to cure allergy and autoimmune diseases. In each section, achievements are summarized, limitations are explored, and future directions are assessed.
['Li|Pengyang|P|', 'Rios Coronado|Pamela E|PE|', 'Longstaff|Xóchitl R R|XRR|', 'Tarashansky|Alexander J|AJ|', 'Wang|Bo|B|0000-0001-8880-1432']
D000818:Animals D016503:Drug Delivery Systems D004351:Drug Resistance D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques D006373:Helminthiasis D006376:Helminths D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions D006801:Humans D007167:Immunotherapy D050997:Nanomedicine D053758:Nanoparticles D016052:Protozoan Vaccines
nanomedicine parasites vaccines drug delivery immunomodulation