Nanoparticle lung delivery and inhalation aerosols for targeted pulmonary nanomedicine

Nanomedicine drug-delivery systems have a number of advantages: (1) to achieve relatively uniform distribution of drug dose; (2) to enhance the apparent solubility of a poorly water-soluble drug; (3) to control drug release that can consequently reduce the dosing frequency; (4) to achieve macromolecule delivery of therapeutic proteins and polypeptides; (5) to reduce side effects and toxicity; (6) to improve patient compliance; and (7) to provide strategies for intracellular targeted delivery. In addition, targeted pulmonary delivery systems can have several therapeutic advantages for the treatment of respiratory diseases as well as systemic delivery via the lung. The respiratory system has anatomical and physiological advantages: (1) a large surface area; (2) a thin physical barrier of alveolar epithelium; (3) the absence of extreme pH and low metabolism relative to other organ systems; (4) no hepatic first-pass effect; (5) rich blood supply; and (6) rapid systemic delivery from the alveolar region to the lung. There has been an increasing interest in the therapeutic application of targeted pulmonary nanomedicine for the respiratory diseases and some examples are listed in Table 3.1.