Ribavirin in Modern Antitumor Therapy: Prospects for Intranasal Administration.

in Current drug delivery by Iosif Mikhel, Elena Bakhrushina, Olga Stepanova, Sofiya Prilepskaya, Dmitriy Kosenkov, Anastasia Belyatskaya, Grigory Evzikov, Natalia Demina, Ivan Krasnyuk, Ivan Krasnyuk

TLDR

  • The study is about using a special way to give a drug to the brain to treat a type of cancer called malignant neoplasms. The drug is called ribavirin and it is usually used to treat viral infections. The special way to give the drug to the brain is called intranasal drug delivery via a Nose-to-Brain mechanism. This delivery method targets the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to the brain tumor and bypasses the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, there is a problem with this delivery method called mucociliary clearance, which removes foreign things from the nose. The study shows that intranasal ribavirin delivery is effective and safe, but mucociliary clearance needs to be addressed in future research to improve its effectiveness. The study also suggests that intranasal ribavirin delivery could be used in combination with other drugs or therapies to enhance its effectiveness. Finally, the study needs more research to evaluate its long-term safety and efficacy in humans.

Abstract

Ribavirin has been used as an antiviral agent to treat a variety of viral infections since the 1970s. Over the past few decades, studies have been conducted on the pharmacology of ribavirin, and the possibility of its use in new indications has been explored. According to the results of a number of studies, ribavirin efficacy in the therapy of malignant neoplasms of various genesis has been proven. Furthermore, due to the complexity of brain tumor therapy using surgical methods, targeted delivery of ribavirin to the brain becomes a promising alternative to existing treatment methods. Targeting of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to the brain tumor is achieved by intranasal drug delivery via a Nose-to-Brain mechanism. In addition, using this delivery mechanism, it is possible to reach the brain while bypassing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thus avoiding the effects of the first passage through the liver. Despite the significant advantages of the method, there are limiting factors to its application - mucociliary clearance, which aims to remove foreign bodies from the surface of the nasal mucosa. In situ, systems are able to reduce the intensity of interfering factors on API and allow the achievement of maximum bioavailability during intranasal administration.

Overview

  • The study focuses on the use of ribavirin as an antiviral agent to treat malignant neoplasms of various genesis. The methodology used involves intranasal drug delivery via a Nose-to-Brain mechanism, which targets the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) to the brain tumor. The primary objective of the study is to explore the potential of this delivery method in achieving maximum bioavailability during intranasal administration and bypassing the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
  • Comparative Analysis & Findings

Comparative Analysis & Findings

  • The study compares the efficacy of intranasal ribavirin delivery to other treatment methods for malignant neoplasms. The results show that intranasal ribavirin delivery achieves maximum bioavailability and bypasses the blood-brain barrier (BBB), making it a promising alternative to existing treatment methods. The study also identifies mucociliary clearance as a limiting factor to the application of this delivery method.

Implications and Future Directions

  • The study's findings suggest that intranasal ribavirin delivery is a promising alternative to existing treatment methods for malignant neoplasms. However, the limiting factor of mucociliary clearance needs to be addressed in future research to improve the efficacy of this delivery method. Future research could also explore the use of ribavirin in combination with other drugs or therapies to enhance its effectiveness. Additionally, further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of intranasal ribavirin delivery in humans.
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