Nanomedicines for treatment of viral diseases

Viral diseases affect millions of people worldwide, with a high impact on human health and socioeconomic development. More than 40 million people are affected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) alone. This review discusses the various nanocarriers (e.g., liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, etc.) based on approaches that have been applied in the literature and in the clinic to combat the different challenges faced by the antiviral therapy. The recent developments in smart delivery technologies (e.g., immunoliposomes) targeting delivery to the lectin receptors and cell-penetrating peptides for site-specific delivery of antiviral agents at the viral reservoirs are also been discussed.