title: Natural carriers for application in tuberculosis treatment.
abstract: Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide and unsuccessful therapy is mainly due to non-compliance with very prolonged treatments, often associated with severe side-effects. Overcoming this problem demands the introduction of drug carriers releasing the antimicrobial agents in a targeted and sustained manner, allowing reduction in frequency and dosing numbers. Nano- and microparticles have taken the forefront of this approach, providing the means for the desired improvement of therapeutic schedules. Natural polymers are strong candidates as matrix-forming materials, usually exhibiting biocompatibility, biodegradability, low cost and some technological advantages as compared with synthetic counterparts. In this review, natural particulate carriers developed for tuberculosis therapy are presented, mainly focusing on the use of polysaccharides and lipids. Their effectiveness is discussed taking into account their composition. Finally, considerations on the general potential of natural materials for this application, as well as key factors still to be addressed, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine/Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grenha
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers