Background: Combination antiretroviral therapy has significantly advanced HIV-1 infection treatment. However, HIV-1 remains persistent in the brain; the inaccessibility of the blood-brain barrier allows for persistent HIV-1 infections and neuroinflammation. Nanotechnology-based drug carriers such as nanodiscoidal bicelles can provide a solution to combat this challenge. Methods: This study investigated the safety and extended release of a combination antiretroviral therapy drug (tenofovir)-loaded nanodiscs for HIV-1 treatment in the brain both in vitro and in vivo. Result: The nanodiscs entrapped the drug in their interior hydrophobic core and released the payload at the desired location and in a controlled release pattern. The study also included a comparative pharmacokinetic analysis of nanodisc formulations in in vitro and in vivo models. Conclusion: The study provides potential applications of nanodiscs for HIV-1 therapy development.
Keywords: HIV-1; blood–brain barrier; drug delivery; nanodisc; nanomedicine.