Drug Delivery Strategies for Antivirals against Hepatitis B Virus

• Main Authors: Latavia Singh, Sunaina Indermun, Mershen Govender, Pradeep Kumar, Lisa C. du Toit, Yahya E. Choonara, Viness Pillay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-05-01
• Series: Viruses
• Subjects: Hepatitis B virus; intracellular drug delivery; liver targeting; hepatocyte; asialoglycoprotein receptor; nanoparticles; cell-penetrating peptides
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/10/5/267

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a significant health challenge due to associated morbidity and mortality from cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer that eventually results in the breakdown of liver functionality. Nanotechnology has the potential to play a pivotal role in reducing viral load levels and drug-resistant HBV through drug targeting, thus reducing the rate of evolution of the disease. Apart from tissue targeting, intracellular delivery of a wide range of drugs is necessary to exert a therapeutic action in the affected organelles. This review encompasses the strategies and techniques that have been utilized to target the HBV-infected nuclei in liver hepatocytes, with a significant look at the new insights and most recent advances in drug carriers and their role in anti-HBV therapy.