Liposomes as Drug Delivery Systems for The Treatment of TB

Abstract

TB is an infectious disease that is far from being eradicated and controlled. The treatment for TB is associated with noncompliance to therapy because it consists of a long-term treatment with a multidrug combination and is associated with the appearance of several side effects. Liposomal formulations are being developed with first- and second-line antibiotics, and might be an extremely useful alternative to current therapies. This article will thus focus on the role of liposomes as nanodelivery systems for the treatment of TB. Among several advantages, these nanocarriers allow an increase in the bioavailability of antibiotics, which may lead to a reduction in the time of treatment. Results obtained with such nanosystems, although preliminary, are promising and are perspective of the use of inhalation for TB treatment.

Keywords::

• anti-TB drugs
• liposomes
• macrophages
• nanomedicine
• targeting

Financial & competing interests disclosure

M Pinheiro thanks FCT (Lisbon) for the fellowship (SFRH/BD/63318/2009). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

M Pinheiro thanks FCT (Lisbon) for the fellowship (SFRH/BD/63318/2009). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.