Nanomaterial-based vaccines: An advanced approach against rotavirus: A review article

Rotavirus remains a primary cause of severe dehydrating diarrhea in children globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While live-attenuated oral vaccines have significantly reduced the disease burden, their efficacy is particularly reduced in conditions characterized by malnutrition, intestinal dysbiosis, and environmental enteric dysfunction (EED). This review examines a diverse range of technologies, including lipid, polymeric, and metallic nanoparticles, as well as virus-like particles (VLPs) and pseudovirus nanoparticles (PVNPs), and analyzes their potential for enhanced antigen stability, targeted delivery, and potent immunogenicity. Unlike conventional formulations, these next-generation platforms can be designed as highly immunogenic injectable vaccines to cross the hostile intestinal environment or as protective oral carriers that protect antigens from degradation. Thus, the strategic integration of nanotechnology into rotavirus vaccine design could offer a transformative path to achieving sustained protection and overcoming the biological barriers that currently limit the success of live-attenuated vaccines.