Nanotechnology-Enabled Vaccines for Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV, and Dengue: Translational Evidence and Implementation in the Global South

Nanoscale materials can support vaccine delivery, antigen display and immune stimulation, but successful platform function or enhanced immunogenicity does not necessarily establish meaningful or durable clinical protection. This narrative review examines evidence published from January 2016 through April 2026, with selected foundational studies, for nanotechnology-enabled vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and dengue, focusing on their relevance to the Global South. These diseases were selected for their substantial public-health burden, distinct biological barriers to vaccination and contrasting stages of translational development, enabling comparison across preclinical research, human immunogenicity, clinical efficacy and implementation evidence. The synthesis distinguishes the functional contribution of nanoscale carriers, antigen-display scaffolds and adjuvants from the performance of complete vaccine formulations. Malaria has the most advanced clinical and implementation evidence among the reviewed platforms. Tuberculosis has disease-prevention evidence in a defined infected adult population, and HIV and dengue platforms remain predominantly at preclinical or early clinical stages. Clinical efficacy of a nano-enabled formulation does not, by itself, quantify the incremental benefit attributable to its nanoscale component. Across diseases, translational value depends on antigen suitability, disease-relevant immune function, durability, formulation-specific safety and applicability to the intended population. Evidence from selected trial cohorts cannot automatically be generalized across heterogeneous Global South settings. Manufacturing readiness, storage requirements, affordable complete schedules, regulatory capacity and equitable access must therefore be assessed alongside biological performance. The review identifies where links between platform function, clinical benefit and feasible implementation are supported and where they remain unestablished.