Nanoparticle Delivery of Anti-Tuberculosis Chemotherapy as a Potential Mediator Against Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Drug-resistant tuberculosis is quickly emerging as one of the largest threats to the global health community. Current chemotherapy for tuberculosis dates back to the 1950s and is arduous, lengthy, and remains extremely difficult to complete in many of the highest burdened areas. This causes inadequate or incomplete treatment, resulting in genetic selection of drug-resistant strains. With a dearth of novel anti-TB drug candidates in the development pipeline, nanoparticle technology allows us to take current chemotherapies and deliver them more efficaciously, reducing the frequency and duration of treatment and increasing bioavailability. This approach can improve patient adherence, reduce pill burden, and shorten time to completion, all which are at the heart of drug resistance. This review examines the multiple advantages of nanoparticle drug delivery of tuberculosis chemotherapy and summarizes the challenges in implementation.