Nanomaterials for the Prevention, Detection, and Treatment of Pharyngeal Human Papillomavirus Infection: A Translational Roadmap

Pharyngeal infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV16, is biologically distinct from cervical infection because it occurs within the specialized lymphoepithelial environment of Waldeyer’s ring. This review evaluates nanoparticle materials for the prevention, detection, and treatment of pharyngeal HPV, with an emphasis on structure–property–function relationships, mucosal performance, and translational feasibility. Lipid nanoparticle platforms, polymeric nanoparticle platforms, inorganic systems, and hybrid platforms are compared with respect to composition, particle size distribution, surface charge, colloidal stability, biodegradability, payload compatibility, release behavior, and manufacturing complexity. Evidence suggests that lipid and polymeric systems are the most credible near-future candidates for mucosal vaccination and localized nucleic acid delivery because they offer the best balance between controllable fabrication, analytical tractability, and biologically plausible performance in mucus-exposed tissue. By contrast, the development of inorganic theranostics and CRISPR-enabled platforms remains at an earlier stage because repeated mucosal dosing, retention in lymphoid tissue, and combined product regulation impose substantial burdens. A translational roadmap is proposed in which material selection is guided by clinically relevant quality attributes, standardized saliva- and mucus-relevant assays, human tonsil organoid testing, and early attention to manufacturability, safety, and regulatory strategy. The field is promising, but direct pharyngeal HPV data remain limited; accordingly, there is an urgent need for comparative studies that connect nanoparticle architecture to measurable outcomes such as tonsillar deposition, epithelial uptake, immune activation, and local tolerability.