Nanocarriers for Targeted Treatment of Neglected Tropical and Parasitic Diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other parasitic infections, including Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, malaria, and toxoplasmosis, continue to pose monumental global health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income regions. Traditional antiparasitic drugs suffer from severe limitations, including poor aqueous solubility, narrow therapeutic windows, high systemic toxicity, and rapid clearance. These issues are further compounded by emerging drug resistance and a severe lack of patient- and pediatric-friendly formulations.To overcome these hurdles, recent advances in nanocarrier technologies, such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), polymeric nanocarriers, biomimetic systems, and targeted delivery approaches, offer highly promising strategies. By utilizing nanotechnology and materials science, we can encapsulate hydrophobic therapeutics, protect drug payloads from premature degradation, and achieve controlled, site-specific release. Understanding biological barriers and pathogen-host interactions is essential to engineer nanocarriers that deliver therapeutic payloads directly to intracellular parasites while minimizing off-target adverse effects.This Research Topic aims to compile pioneering research focusing directly on innovative formulation strategies, biological targeting mechanisms, and translational approaches that improve the therapeutic efficacy and safety of antiparasitic treatments. Rather than focusing solely on basic carrier design, this collection emphasizes bio-mechanism-driven nanoparticle engineering. We seek to highlight how materials science, synthetic chemistry, and precise biological targeting can be combined to design the next generation of antiparasitic drug delivery platforms. Through interdisciplinary collaboration across nanotechnology, pharmacology, and clinical translation, this collection aims to accelerate the bench-to-bedside development of safe, stable, and highly efficacious therapies.This Research Topic welcomes original research, reviews, mini-reviews, and perspective articles on the development, optimization, characterization, and translation of nanocarrier platforms for antiparasitic applications. We encourage submissions utilizing diverse biomaterials (polymeric, lipidic, inorganic, and hybrid) and manufacturing methodologies that address specific pharmacological, physiological, or manufacturing barriers associated with parasitic infections.Subthemes include, but are not limited to:- Targeted nanocarriers for intracellular parasites and host-pathogen barrier navigation- Novel strategies to overcome antiparasitic drug resistance and multi-drug combination therapies- Pediatric and patient-friendly formulations for neglected parasitic diseases- Stimuli-responsive and controlled-release systems for site-specific drug delivery- Biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, safety, and toxicity evaluation of antiparasitic nanomedicines- Computational and AI-assisted approaches for nanocarrier design and optimization- Scale-up, manufacturing reproducibility, Quality-by-Design (QbD), and regulatory considerations for clinical implementation- Emerging platforms: extracellular vesicles, biomimetic nanoparticles, cell membrane-coated nanocarriers, and nanovaccines for parasitic diseases Topic editors: Eva Carolina Arrua, Vinod Mokale Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82769/nanocarriers-for-targeted-treatment-of-neglected-tropical-and-parasitic-diseases