The potential of carbon-based nanomaterials in hepatitis C virus treatment: a review of carbon nanotubes, dendrimers and fullerenes

Abstract

HCV, hepatitis C virus, is a virus that causes damage to the liver. Both chronic infection or lack of treatment increase morbidity except if it is an acute infection, as the body clears the virus without any intervention. Also, the virus has many genotypes, and until now, there has yet to be a single treatment capable of affecting and treating all these genotypes at once. This review will discuss the main and most used old treatments, IFN-a, PEG IFN-a, Ribavirin, Celgosvir, and sofosbuvir alone and with the combination of other drugs and their drawbacks. They should be given in combination to improve the effect on the virus compared with being administrated independently, as in the case of sofosbuvir. For these reasons, the need for new treatments and diagnostic tools arises, and the rule of nanotechnology comes here. The role of carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, and fullerenes will be discussed. CNTs, carbon nanotubes, are one-dimensional structures composed of a cylindrical sheet of graphite and are mainly used for diagnostic purposes against HCV. Dendrimers, three-dimensional highly branched structures, are macromolecules that provide better drug delivery and treatment options due to their unique structure that can be modified, producing versatile types; each has unique properties. Fullerenes which are cage like structures derived and closely related to CNTs, and composed of carbon atoms that can be substituted by other atoms which in return open unlimited usage for these carbon based materials. Fullerenes rule is unique since it has two mechanisms that prevent the virus from binding and acting on the virus-replicating enzyme. However, their charge needs to be determined; otherwise, it will lead to cytotoxicity. Lastly, no review has been done on the role of nanotechnology against HCV yet.