Antiviral drug carriers for human immunodeficiency virus

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become one of the greatest public health problems threatening human health. HIV treatment presents a certain limit due to the complexity of the infection cycle and the low therapeutic target. New viral drug treatments should be developed for ameliorating the potentially toxic side effects and drug resistance. Nanomaterials with strong solubility and bioavailability show obvious merit in drug delivery, which can be an effective assistant to treat HIV. Herein, various novel nanomaterials were reviewed for drug delivery, including lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, micelles, etc. We also discussed the advantages and the limitations of novel nanocarriers for HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment and prospected potential materials for HIV.