Nanotech-derived topical microbicides for HIV prevention: The road to clinical development

• Several nano-architectures may be promising microbicide candidates to prevent HIV sexual transmission.
• Advances in synthesis and design allow precise manipulation of their architecture, size and chemical composition.
• This results in predictable tuning of their biocompatibility, as well as their antiviral activity.
• Precise pre-clinical evaluation of nanotech-derived microbicides is essential to assure their safety and efficacy.
• These nanosystems present some limitations that must be overcome for successful translation to clinical settings.

More than three decades since its discovery, HIV infection remains one of the most aggressive epidemics worldwide, with more than 35 million people infected. In sub-Saharan Africa, heterosexual transmissions represent nearly 80% of new infections, with 50% of these occurring in women. In an effort to stop the dramatic spread of the HIV epidemic, new preventive treatments, such as microbicides, have been developed. Nanotechnology has revolutionized this field by designing and engineering novel highly effective nano-sized materials as microbicide candidates. This review illustrates the most recent advances in nanotech-derived HIV prevention strategies, as well as the main steps required to translate promising in vitro results into clinical trials.