In a significant breakthrough, Indian scientists have developed a unique, specific way to deliver tuberculosis drugs directly to the brain through the nose. The feat was achieved by researchers from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology in Mohali, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

Also known as tuberculous meningitis – this condition is caused by seeding of the meninges with the bacilli of Mtb and is characterized by inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain or spinal cord. According to statistics, approximately one-third of the world’s population is known to be infected with MTB – a life-threatening and fatal disease. India accounts for about 25 per cent of the global TB burden, with an estimated incidence of 2.77 million in 2022.

How does drug delivery from the nose to the brain work?

The scientists said delivery of the new drug from the nose to the brain utilizes the olfactory and trigeminal nerve pathways in the nasal cavity and effectively bypasses the challenging blood-brain barrier.

Even though traditional TB treatments involve high doses of oral drugs, experts say they mostly fail to achieve effective concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid because the BBB prevents drugs from entering the brain.

Scientists experimented to combat this Nanoparticles made from chitosan – a fibrous substance that can reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol the body absorbs from foods – which bypasses the BBB and delivers TB drugs directly to the brain through the nose. According to experts, chitosan is a biocompatible and biodegradable material. Chitosan nano-aggregates aggregate TB drugs like isoniazid and rifampicin and stick to the nasal mucosa – which helps the nano-aggregates stay in one place so they can release the drug, increasing its therapeutic effectiveness. .

“In mice infected with TB, nasal delivery of these nano-aggregates reduced the number of bacteria in the brain by approximately 1,000-fold compared to untreated mice,” the team said in the paper published in the journal TB. Nanoscale (Royal Society of Chemistry).

Treatment will help reduce swelling

According to the scientists, the new treatment method will also help reduce inflammation caused by infection – an advancement that has the potential to significantly improve treatment for people with brain TB and could help with faster recoveries. .

Scientists say this method could also be used to treat brain tumors and epilepsy, as well as other brain infections and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, by delivering effective drugs to the brain for quick effects. .

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