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An Automated Culture System for Use in Preclinical Testing of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis
Published on: August 16, 2021
Nanotechnological innovations in paediatric tuberculosis management: current trends and future prospects
Taiwo Oreoluwa Ajayi1, Madan Sai Poka1, Bwalya Angel Witika1
1Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa.
Insights
Paediatric tuberculosis (TB) treatment faces challenges due to unsuitable adult formulations and poor palatability. Novel drug delivery systems, including nanotechnology, are needed for effective and child-friendly paediatric TB therapies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Pharmaceutical sciences
- Drug delivery systems
Background:
- Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health concern, causing substantial morbidity and mortality.
- Children are more susceptible to TB, with rapid spread to extrapulmonary sites.
- Current TB treatments for children often use adult formulations, leading to dosing inaccuracies and adherence issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review available oral paediatric TB formulations.
- To discuss novel oral drug delivery systems for paediatric TB.
- To explore nanotechnology's potential in paediatric TB treatment through a SWOT analysis.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current paediatric TB formulations.
- Analysis of recent advancements in novel oral drug delivery systems.
- SWOT analysis of nanotechnology applications in paediatric TB drug delivery.
Main Results:
- Existing paediatric TB formulations are often unsuitable, leading to inaccurate dosing and poor adherence.
- Novel drug delivery systems show promise in overcoming taste-masking and accurate dosing challenges.
- Nanotechnology offers potential for targeted delivery and improved therapeutic outcomes in paediatric TB.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for paediatric-friendly drug delivery formulations for TB treatment.
- Recent innovations in oral drug delivery systems are addressing current limitations.
- Future research should focus on nanotechnology to enhance paediatric TB therapy effectiveness and adherence.
Abstract:
Paediatric Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Children are more prone to contracting TB, which can spread quickly to extrapulmonary infection sites. Although the pathophysiology of the disease, drug pharmacokinetics, and the therapeutic window in children differ from those of adults, the same drugs used to treat adult TB have long been utilised to treat paediatric TB infections. Since many current formulations such as tablets are unsuitable for children due to difficulty swallowing and risk of choking, adult medications are frequently used by breaking or crushing tablets to obtain a paediatric dose. This can result in inaccurate dosing due to pharmacokinetic differences in children which could subsequently lead to sub-therapeutic or toxic systemic concentrations. In addition, many of the medications used in the treatment of TB and most medicines in general, have a profoundly unpleasant taste to children causing them to reject and spit out medication which contributes to challenges with adherence, ultimately leading to treatment failure. The aforementioned demonstrates a huge need for the development of novel drug delivery formulations that are paediatric-friendly and address the limitations of current dosage forms. This review discusses the currently available oral paediatric formulations, recent developments of novel oral drug delivery systems studied to overcome the current problems associated with the treatment of tuberculosis in paediatrics and provides potential direction for future research through nanotechnology by using a SWOT analysis.
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