Polymeric micelles and nanomedicines: Shaping the future of next generation therapeutic strategies for infectious diseases

Abstract

Despite all the advances in understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and the development of novel treatments to combat them, these pathogenic disorders are among the most common reasons for hospitalizations and death worldwide. Polymeric micelles (PMs) are nano-sized drug delivery systems that in the last few years have raised special attention for optimizing the therapy of many infectious diseases, including those considered as neglected by the World Health Organization. These nanoscopic core/shell structures formed by self-assemblies of amphiphilic block copolymers represent an effective delivery system for poorly water-soluble drugs. In the last few years, many micellar formulations were studied for delivery of drugs, genes and nutraceuticals, and some of them are under clinical trials. This review will focus on the applications of polymeric single and mixed micelles for the treatment of infectious diseases and will discuss how these advancements have contributed to improve their pharmacotherapy, with a special emphasis on neglected tropical diseases. A summary of the nanomaterials used for the preparation of PMs is detailed. The current state of the art of several micellar formulations as nanocarriers of FDA-approved drugs for the therapy of many infectious diseases, including those under pre-clinical or clinical trials is provided. Finally, perspectives in the design of a more efficient pharmacotherapy to overcome the multi-drug resistance phenotype of pathogens or host cells are addressed.