Liposomes: a promising carrier for respiratory syncytial virus therapeutics

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes severe lower respiratory tract infection in infants, children and aged adults. Currently, there is no active prophylaxis present in the market for RSV infection; however, there are over a dozen compounds being tested in the laboratory as well as clinical trials. To increase the efficiency and safety of these therapeutics, there is a need for delivery vehicles.

Areas covered: Liposomes can be used for delivering anti-RSV agents with the advantage of modulating and eliciting the desired adjuvant effect by the different combination of lipids. This review discusses the promising application of liposome for anti-RSV therapeutics.

Expert opinion: Liposomes are attracting attention for delivery of pulmonary therapeutics, since they offer compatibility for delivering drugs, vaccines and other therapeutic molecules. Variation in liposome size and composition gives flexibility for the amount and number of deliverables, whilst targeted delivery with the capability for immunomodulation makes liposomes a promising candidate for RSV therapeutic applications.

KEYWORDS:

• RSV
• liposomes
• lipids
• peptides
• small molecules
• drugs

Article highlights

• Currently, broad spectrum antiviral drug ribavirin and palivizumab (monoclonal antibody) are solacing measures against RSV infection. However, there is no effective prophylaxis or treatment available for RSV infection.

• There are several potential therapeutic candidates in pre-clinical and clinical trials and their efficacy can be enhanced by using effective delivery vehicles.

• There are many drug delivery systems available; however, liposomes are the most successful drug delivery vehicles in the market. Application of liposomes for RSV drug delivery is largely unexplored.

• Liposomes offer versatile ways of loading polar and non-polar therapeutic candidates. Modulating liposome synthesis chemistry not only allows controlled release but also targeted delivery of cargo. These characteristics of liposomes are desirable for targeting lung pathogen like RSV.

• Liposomes may stimulate immune system and can be a favorable when delivering vaccines. Modulating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics events of a drug could be achieved by liposomal drug delivery.

• An overlapping perspective of RSV pathology, therapeutics and liposome engineering is crucial in development of RSV vaccine and drugs and needs to extrapolate this multidisciplinary approach.

This box summarizes key points contained in the article.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank to Ms. Eva Dennis for helping us with artistic work related to figures.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

The funding to publish this review article was from the grant NSF-CREST-(HRD-1241701).