title: The potential of liposome-encapsulated ciprofloxacin as a tularemia therapy.
abstract: Liposome-encapsulation has been suggested as method to improve the efficacy of ciprofloxacin against the intracellular pathogen, Francisella tularensis. Early work with a prototype formulation, evaluated for use against the F. tularensis live vaccine strain, showed that a single dose of liposomal ciprofloxacin given by the intranasal or inhalational route could provide protection in a mouse model of pneumonic tularemia. Liposomal ciprofloxacin offered better protection than ciprofloxacin given by the same routes. Liposomal ciprofloxacin has been further developed by Aradigm Corporation for Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in patients with cystic fibrosis and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis. This advanced development formulation is safe, effective and well tolerated in human clinical trials. Further evaluation of the advanced liposomal ciprofloxacin formulation against the highly virulent F. tularensis Schu S4 strain has shown that aerosolized CFI (Ciprofloxacin encapsulated in liposomes for inhalation) provides significantly better protection than oral ciprofloxacin. Thus, liposomal ciprofloxacin is a promising treatment for tularemia and further research with the aim of enabling licensure under the animal rule is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Group, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Department , Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
authors.forename: Karleigh A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hamblin
authors.affiliation: Defence Research and Development Canada, Suffield Research Center , Ralston, AL, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Aradigm Corporation , Hayward, CA, USA.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Group, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Department , Porton Down, Salisbury, UK.
authors.forename: Helen S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Atkins
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008081:Liposomes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014406:Tularemia / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008081:Liposomes; D002939:Ciprofloxacin
keywords: Francisella tularensis; ciprofloxacin; liposomal; tularemia