Abstract
The clinical management of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases with antimycobacterial chemotherapy remains a difficult task. The classical treatment protocols are long-lasting; the drugs reach mycobacteriainfected macrophages in low amounts and/or do not persist long enough to develop the desired antimycobacterial effect; and the available agents induce severe toxic effects. Nanotechnology has provided a huge improvement to pharmacology through the designing of drug delivery systems able to target phagocytic cells infected by intracellular pathogens, such as mycobacteria. Liposomes and nanoparticles of polymeric nature represent two of the most efficient drug carrier systems that after in vivo administration are endocytosed by phagocytic cells and then release the carried agents into these cells. This article reviews the relevant publications describing the effectiveness of the association of antimycobacterial agents with liposomes or nanoparticles for the treatment of mycobacterioses, particularly for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium infections. The increased therapeutic index of antimycobacterial drugs; the reduction of dosing frequency; and the improvement of solubility of hydrophobic agents, allowing the administration of higher doses, have been demonstrated in experimental infections. These advantages may lead to new therapeutic protocols that will improve patient compliance and, consequently, lead to a more successful control of mycobacterial infections. The potential therapeutic advantages resulting from the use of non-invasive administration routes for nanoparticulate systems are also discussed.
Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. avium, drug delivery, liposomes, nanoparticles
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry
Title: Developments on Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Mycobacterial Infections
Volume: 8 Issue: 7
Author(s): M. M. Gaspar, A. Cruz, A. G. Fraga, A. G. Castro, M. E. M. Cruz and J. Pedrosa
Affiliation:
Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. avium, drug delivery, liposomes, nanoparticles
Abstract: The clinical management of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases with antimycobacterial chemotherapy remains a difficult task. The classical treatment protocols are long-lasting; the drugs reach mycobacteriainfected macrophages in low amounts and/or do not persist long enough to develop the desired antimycobacterial effect; and the available agents induce severe toxic effects. Nanotechnology has provided a huge improvement to pharmacology through the designing of drug delivery systems able to target phagocytic cells infected by intracellular pathogens, such as mycobacteria. Liposomes and nanoparticles of polymeric nature represent two of the most efficient drug carrier systems that after in vivo administration are endocytosed by phagocytic cells and then release the carried agents into these cells. This article reviews the relevant publications describing the effectiveness of the association of antimycobacterial agents with liposomes or nanoparticles for the treatment of mycobacterioses, particularly for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. avium infections. The increased therapeutic index of antimycobacterial drugs; the reduction of dosing frequency; and the improvement of solubility of hydrophobic agents, allowing the administration of higher doses, have been demonstrated in experimental infections. These advantages may lead to new therapeutic protocols that will improve patient compliance and, consequently, lead to a more successful control of mycobacterial infections. The potential therapeutic advantages resulting from the use of non-invasive administration routes for nanoparticulate systems are also discussed.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Gaspar M. M., Cruz A., Fraga G. A., Castro G. A., Cruz E. M. M. and Pedrosa J., Developments on Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Mycobacterial Infections, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry 2008; 8 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802608783955629
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156802608783955629 |
Print ISSN 1568-0266 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4294 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Chemistry Based on Natural Products for Therapeutic Purposes
The development of new pharmaceuticals for a wide range of medical conditions has long relied on the identification of promising natural products (NPs). There are over sixty percent of cancer, infectious illness, and CNS disease medications that include an NP pharmacophore, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Since NP ...read more
Current Trends in Drug Discovery Based on Artificial Intelligence and Computer-Aided Drug Design
Drug development discovery has faced several challenges over the years. In fact, the evolution of classical approaches to modern methods using computational methods, or Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD), has shown promising and essential results in any drug discovery campaign. Among these methods, molecular docking is one of the most notable ...read more
Drug Discovery in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), we have witnessed a significant boom in AI techniques for drug discovery. AI techniques are increasingly integrated and accelerating the drug discovery process. These developments have not only attracted the attention of academia and industry but also raised important questions regarding the selection ...read more
From Biodiversity to Chemical Diversity: Focus of Flavonoids
Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, plant secondary metabolites arising from the essential aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (or more rarely from tyrosine) via the phenylpropanoid pathway. The flavan nucleus is the basic 15-carbon skeleton of flavonoids (C6-C3-C6), which consists of two phenyl rings (A and B) and a heterocyclic ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis- Its Management and Control
Current Drug Therapy Clinical and Pharmacological Aspects of Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases in Childhood: An Update
Current Neuropharmacology Applications of Stripping Voltammetry at Carbon Paste and Chemically Modified Carbon Paste Electrodes to Pharmaceutical Analysis
Current Pharmaceutical Analysis Subject Index to Volume 10
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Role and Impact of SNPs in Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine
Current Drug Metabolism An Overview on Pyranocoumarins: Synthesis and Biological Activities
Current Organic Chemistry HIV Drug Resistance Interpreted by Cumulative Versus Last Genotypes in HIV-Infected Patients with Multiple Treatment Failures
Current HIV Research Extrapulmonary Sarcoidosis: A Chameleon Disease at Imaging
Current Medical Imaging Persistent Clinical Response of Infliximab Therapy in Patients with Refractory Rheumatoid Arthritis, over a 3-Year Period
Current Clinical Pharmacology An Overview on the Development of New Potentially Active Camptothecin Analogs Against Cancer
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Tubercidin and Related Analogues: An Inspiration for 50 years in Drug Discovery
Current Organic Chemistry Recent Developments in the Chemistry and Biology of G-Quadruplexes with Reference to the DNA Groove Binders
Current Pharmaceutical Design Methods to Measure Target Site Penetration of Antibiotics in Critically Ill Patients
Current Clinical Pharmacology Energy Provisioning and Inflammasome Activation: The Pivotal Role of AMPK in Sterile Inflammation and Associated Metabolic Disorders
Anti-Inflammatory & Anti-Allergy Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Genomic and Genetic Approaches for the Identification of Antifungal Drug Targets
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets Medicinal Plants in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Perspective of Traditional Persian Medicine
Current Drug Metabolism Antimicrobial Peptides and their Pore/Ion Channel Properties in Neutralization of Pathogenic Microbes
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Vesicular Carriers for Skin Drug Delivery: The Pheroidâ„¢ Technology
Current Pharmaceutical Design Affordable Antiretroviral Drugs for the Under-Served Markets: How to Expand Equitable Access Against the Backdrop of Challenging Scenarios?
Current HIV Research Antistaphylococcal Activity of Novel Salicylanilide Derivatives
Current Drug Discovery Technologies