Modulation of Innate Immune Responses Using Nanoparticles for Infectious Disease Therapy

Infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) are a major cause of deaths worldwide. These intracellular pathogens regulate the innate immune response allowing for pathogen survival, persistence and further transmission. Nanoparticles provide an opportunity for the targeted delivery of immune modulating signals to host cells, harnessing the innate immune system to eradicate infection. In this review, we briefly present key aspects of HIV-1 and TB innate immunity, and review the capability of nanomedicines in modulating the action of the innate immune system. We conclude that while several studies have provided the proof of concept of the immunomodulatory ability of nanoparticle systems, additional characterization is required to facilitate the translation to the clinic of a nanomedicine approach to these diseases.