DRUG-RESISTANT TUBERCULOSIS: RECENT APPROACH IN POLYMER BASED NANOMEDICINE

Abstract

<p>Tuberculosis (TB) had been a leading chronic bacterial infection since decades. Current therapeutic management of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is inadequate due to the lengthy course of treatment, drug-related side effects and ill-planned therapy, and these factors can lead to therapeutic failure and the emergence of drug-resistant TB. The Multi-drug-resistant (MDR) TB needs a lengthy course of treatment with second-line antitubercular drugs (ATDs) having higher side effects and cost. The misuse of second-line ATDs may result in extremely drug-resistant (XDR) strain which is very difficult to treat and require high doses of drugs resulting in more toxicity and side effects. This review highlights the need for novel drug delivery for the treatment of drug-susceptible and resistant TB. The characteristics of the nanoparticulate system in ATDs delivery and its approach in the MDR and XDR TB are discussed. The lung is the site of infection in pulmonary TB and the targeted drug delivery to the site of infection helps in achieving increased efficacy with less dose further reducing the side effects and toxicity. The symbiotic association of nanotechnology and pulmonary drug delivery give rise to an efficient inhalable polymer based nanoparticulate system containing ATDs for the better management of drug-susceptible and resistant TB. Various ATDs loaded polymer based nanocarrier systems like Alginate, PLGA, Chitosan and Gelatin nanocarriers are discussed in detail. Thus, this review highlights the current research in pulmonary drug delivery of polymer based ATDs nanomedicine and their importance in control of drug-resistant TB.</p>