Cure of tuberculosis using nanotechnology: An overview

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Nanotechnology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, poses a significant global health threat.
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis evades host immune responses by manipulating macrophage functions and resisting conventional drugs.
• Limitations of current TB therapies include drug resistance, low bioavailability, and poor biodistribution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems for tuberculosis treatment.
• To explore the potential of phytochemicals as anti-TB agents.
• To highlight the importance of understanding pathogen genomics and proteomics for novel therapy development.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on nanotechnology applications in TB drug formulation and delivery.
• Analysis of studies on phytochemicals (alkaloids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, terpenoids) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• Discussion of omics approaches (genomics, proteomics) for identifying therapeutic targets.

Main Results:

• Nanotechnology offers improved drug formulation and delivery, potentially overcoming limitations of conventional TB drugs.
• Phytochemicals demonstrate promising antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis via diverse molecular mechanisms.
• Genomic and proteomic insights can identify new strategies to combat TB.

Conclusions:

• Nanotechnology-based drug delivery presents a promising avenue for enhancing tuberculosis treatment efficacy.
• Phytochemicals derived from terrestrial plants and mangroves show significant potential as alternative anti-TB agents.
• Further research into Mycobacterium tuberculosis genomics and proteomics is crucial for developing effective therapies against this pathogen.