Publications

Tuberculosis is considered to be a fatal respiratory infectious disease that represents a global threat, which must be faced. Despite the availability of oral conventional anti-tuberculosis therapy, the disease is characterized by a high progression. The leading cause is the poor patient compliance and failure of adherence to the drug regimen primarily due to systemic toxicity. In this context, inhalation therapy as a non-invasive route of administration is capable of increasing local drug concentrations in lung tissues, the primary infection side, by passive targeting as well as reducing the risk of systemic toxicity and hence improving the patient compliance. Nanotechnology represents a promising strategy in the development of inhaled drug delivery systems. Nanocarriers can improve the drug effectiveness and decrease the expected side effects as consequences of its ability to target the drug to the infected area as well as sustain its release in a prolonged manner. The current review summarizes the state-of- art in the development of inhaled nanotechnological carriers confined currently available anti-tuberculosis drugs (anti TB) for local and targeting drug delivery specifically, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoliposomes and nanomicelles. Moreover, complexes and ion pairs are also reported. The impact and progress of nanotechnology on the therapeutic effectiveness and patient adherence of anti TB regimen are addressed.