Abstract
Nanomedicine is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field in which medicine is coupled with nanotechnology tools and techniques for advanced therapy with the aid of molecular knowledge. Nanoscale drug delivery systems provide a platform to improve the pharmacokinetics and increase the bio-distribution of therapeutic agents to target organs, thereby resulting in improved efficacy while limiting drug toxicity. These systems have revolutionized drug delivery approaches and are exploited for therapeutic purposes to carry the drug in the body in a controlled manner from the site of administration to the therapeutic target. Several promising molecular targets that have been identified as potential therapies for acute and chronic respiratory conditions have been limited because of difficulty with delivery systems. In particular, delivery of peptides, proteins, miRNAs to the lung is an ongoing challenge. Hence, it is an attractive strategy to test potential targets by employing a nanotechnology approach. Nanobiotechnology and nanoscience can provide innovative techniques to deliver drugs targeted to the site of inflamed organs. Here we review some of the nanomedicine approaches that have been proposed and studied over the last decade to facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents specifically for acute and chronic lung diseases. Development of nano-sized carriers including nanoparticles, or liposomes holds great potential for diagnosis and advanced delivery systems for immunomodulation in respiratory diseases; however translational studies are urgently needed to validate the use of nanotechnology for clinical applications.