Nanomedicines Targeting Respiratory Injuries for Pulmonary Disease Management

• Published in: Advanced functional materials 2022-05, Vol.32 (22), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Liu, Dong, Long, Mengmeng, Gao, Leilei, Chen, Yanjun, Li, Fang, Shi, Yang, Gu, Ning
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acute lung injury; acute respiratory distress syndrome; Asthma; Chemical compounds; Corticosteroids; COVID-19; Health services; Injuries; Lipids; Materials science; nanomedicine; Nanoparticles; Nucleic acids; Pharmacology; Respiratory diseases; respiratory injury; Respiratory system; Vertebrates; Viral diseases; Viral infections
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202112258

The respiratory system holds crucial importance in the biology of vertebrate animals. Injuries of the respiratory system caused by viral infections (e.g., by COVID‐19, MERS, and SARS) can lead to severe or lethal conditions. So far there are no effective treatments for respiratory injuries. This represents a highly unmet clinical need, e.g., during the current COVID‐19 pandemic. Nanomedicines have high potential in the treatment of respiratory injuries. In this review, the pathology and clinical treatments of major respiratory injuries, acute lung injury, and acute respiratory distress syndrome are briefly summarized. The review primarily focuses on nanomedicines based on liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, and inorganic nanoparticles, which are tested in preclinical models for the treatment of respiratory injuries. These nanomedicines are utilized to deliver a variety of therapeutic agents, including corticosteroids, statins, and nucleic acids. Furthermore, nanomedicines are also investigated for other respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. The promising preclinical results of various nanoformulations from these studies suggest the potential of nanomedicines for future clinical management of respiratory viral infections and diseases. Respiratory injuries occurring due to COVID‐19, MERS, SARS, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and asthma can lead to severe or even lethal conditions. A variety of nanomedicines based on liposomes, polymeric, lipid, and inorganic nanoparticles administered via the inhalation or parenteral route have shown great potential in the treatment of respiratory injuries and diseases.