Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have considerable potential for treatment of tuberculosis (TB). The important technological advantages of nanoparticles used as drug carriers are high stability, high carrier capacity, feasibility of incorporation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances, and feasibility of variable routes of administration, including oral application and inhalation. Nanoparticles can also be designed to allow controlled (sustained) drug release from the matrix. These properties of nanoparticles enable improvement of drug bioavailability and reduction of the dosing frequency, and may resolve the problem of nonadherence to prescribed therapy, which is one of the major obstacles in the control of TB epidemics. This article highlights some of the issues of nanotechnology relevant to the anti-TB drugs.

Glioblastomas belong to the most aggressive human cancers with short survival times. Due to the blood‐brain barrier, they are mostly inaccessible to traditional chemotherapy. We have recently shown that doxorubicin bound to polysorbate‐coated nanoparticles crossed the intact blood‐brain barrier, thus reaching therapeutic concentrations in the brain. Here, we investigated the therapeutic potential of this formulation of doxorubicin in vivo using an animal model created by implantation of 101/8 glioblastoma tumor in rat brains. Groups of 5–8 glioblastoma‐bearing rats (total n = 151) were subjected to 3 cycles of 1.5–2.5 mg/kg body weight of doxorubicin in different formulations, including doxorubicin bound to polysorbate‐coated nanoparticles. The animals were analyzed for survival (% median increase of survival time, Kaplan‐Meier). Preliminary histology including immunocytochemistry (glial fibrillary acidic protein, ezrin, proliferation and apoptosis) was also performed. Rats treated with doxorubicin bound to polysorbate‐coated nanoparticles had significantly higher survival times compared with all other groups. Over 20% of the animals in this group showed a long‐term remission. Preliminary histology confirmed lower tumor sizes and lower values for proliferation and apoptosis in this group. All groups of animals treated with polysorbate‐containing formulations also had a slight inflammatory reaction to the tumor. There was no indication of neurotoxicity. Additionally, binding to nanoparticles may reduce the systemic toxicity of doxorubicin. This study showed that therapy with doxorubicin bound to nanoparticles offers a therapeutic potential for the treatment of human glioblastoma.