Fighting Vector-borne Diseases with Nanotechnology

According to Word Health Organization (WHO), vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 700 000 deaths annually. They can be caused by either parasites, bacteria or viruses, and include highly prevalent diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis, yellow fever, dengue, and more recently, chikungunya and Zika virus infections. Currently, the approaches used to prevent and treat these conditions are limited. From therapeutic standpoint, conventional drugs are toxic and presents lack of specificity, reduced patient compliance and emerging resistance. By facing this scenario, nanotechnology has provided significant insights towards novel approaches able to prevent and treat vector-borne diseases in a safe and effective manner. This lecture covers the development and biological assessment of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems for fighting vector-borne diseases.