PLGA-PEG-PLGA thermogel from PolySciTech used in development of bone-tuberculosis therapy

Although tuberculosis is commonly associated with the lungs, this bacterial infection can also affect other body parts such as the spinal column (Pott’s disease) or long-bones. This form of the disease is both difficult to diagnose (until it is in late stages) and can lead to severe problems, including neurological problems and paralysis. Typically, transfer of medicinal molecules into bone tissue is poor due to weak vascularization and poor blood flow. In this case, achieving a useful concentration of anti-tuberculosis agent in the bones requires very high dosing of the agent throughout the entire body, which can lead to problematic side effects. Recently, researchers at Central South University (China) used PLGA-PEG-PLGA (AK097) from PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com) to generate Isoniazid loaded hydrogel. Since the gel can be injected directly to site, this could be used to treat bone tuberculosis without requiring a high dose of the drug across the entire body. This research holds promise to improve treatments for this debilitating disease. Read more: Liu, Peng, Binbin Guo, Shengfeng Wang, Jinsong Ding, and Wenhu Zhou. "A Thermo-Responsive and Self-Healing Liposome-in-Hydrogel System as an Antitubercular Drug Carrier for Localized Bone Tuberculosis Therapy." International Journal of Pharmaceutics (2019). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378517319300201

“Abstract: Isoniazid (INH) is a first-line therapy for bone tuberculosis (TB), but its clinic benefits are limited by severe side-effects after long-time administration. While nano-drug delivery systems present as promising strategies for INH delivery, the therapeutic efficacies are usually suboptimal due to ineffective drug accumulation at diseased sites. Local delivery system can achieve high drug concentration at focus sites with minimal systemic exposure, and herein we aimed to employ this strategy to develop a novel liposome-in-hydrogel system for localized treatment of bone TB. To achieve sustainable drug release, a derivative of INH called DINH was loaded because of its hydrophobicity, as well as its better activity and higher biosafety than INH. The hybrid system was demonstrated for thermo-responsive and self-healing properties via phase transition test and rheological studies, which were particularly useful for intra-articular administration. In vivo microdialysis studies revealed that the system can rapidly release drug into synovial fluid to reach effective inhibitory concentrations after localized injection, followed by a steady-state drug release. The optical image studies were performed to study its long-term behavior in vivo, which suggested a sustained drug release profile for several days. This work provides a promising drug delivery system for bone TB therapy. Keywords: Bone tuberculosis Isoniazid Liposomes Thermo-responsive hydrogel Self-healing”