Nanotherapeutics and HIV: Four Decades of Infection Canvass the Quest for Drug Development Using Nanomedical Technologies

We have seen four decades of human struggle to cure or eradicate HIV infection since the first clinical detection of HIV infection. Various developed drugs such as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, microbicides, and others have known restrictions, such as side effects and resistance development when used alone, and hidden reservoir of the virus, which have opened the gates for the involvement of nanomedicine associated systems, particularly for latent sites of HIV infection. The nanotechnological vehicles, such as liposomes, dendrimers, metal nanoparticles, polymeric nanocapsules/particles, surfactants, and targeted vehicles have become part of extensive studies for application in real settings for the delivery of NRTIs, NNRTIs, microbicides, and siRNA. The positional standing of research in quest of potential therapeutics for combating HIV infection in reference for four decades with this virus need a rational evaluation of nanotechnology to achieve a practical solution to save the lives

Plasmonic stimulation of electrically excitable biological cells

A novel method to stimulate electrically active biological cells using visible wavelength light and metallic nanoparticles possessing plasmonic properties is presented herein. Using this technology, prosthetic devices such as cochlear and retinal implants and cardiac pacemakers can be developed to have superior properties as compared to the currently utilized electrical stimulation designs. These properties include improved spatial resolution; less or non-invasive devices; and higher fidelity of transduction. An additional advantage of using visible light wavelengths is the avoidance of unwanted heating of surrounding tissue that occurs with infrared stimulation

Cochlear Inflammaging in Relation to Ion Channels and Mitochondrial Functions

The slow accumulation of inflammatory biomarker levels in the body—also known as inflammaging—has been linked to a myriad of age-related diseases. Some of these include neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and many others. Though a direct correlation has not been established, research connecting age-related hearing loss (ARHL)—the number one communication disorder and one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases of our aged population—and inflammaging has gained interest. Research, thus far, has found that inflammatory markers, such as IL-6 and white blood cells, are associated with ARHL in humans and animals. Moreover, studies investigating ion channels and mitochondrial involvement have shown promising relationships between their functions and inflammaging in the cochlea. In this review, we summarize key findings in inflammaging within the auditory system, the involvement of ion channels and mitochondrial functions, and lastly discuss potential treatment options focusing on controlling inflammation as we age