New Delhi, Oct 17: In a first, scientists at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed a unique way through the nose to deliver tuberculosis (TB) medicines directly to the brain. TB that affects the brain is called Central Nervous System Tuberculosis (CNS-TB) and is one of the most dangerous forms of TB, often leading to severe complications or death. The novel nose to brain (N2B) drug delivery utilises the olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways in the nasal cavity and effectively bypasses the challenging blood brain barrier (BBB).
While traditional treatments involve high doses of oral anti-TB drugs, they often fail to achieve effective concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid as the BBB limits the medicines from entering the brain. To counter this, the INST team used nanoparticles made of a natural material called chitosan, which bypassed the BBB and delivered TB medicines directly to the brain via the nose. Chitosan is a biocompatible and biodegradable material.
The chitosan nano aggregates could hold TB drugs like isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF). Importantly, chitosan known for its mucoadhesive properties sticks to the nasal mucosa, which helps the nano aggregates stay in place and prolongs the time they can release the drug, enhancing its therapeutic effectiveness. “In mice infected with TB, the nasal delivery of these nano aggregates reduced the number of.
