Abstract
Magnetic nanoparticles have been largely applied to increase the efficacy of antibiotics due to passive accumulation provided by enhancing permeability and retention, which is essential for the treatment of lung infections. Recurring lung infections such as in the life-shortening genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF) are a major problem. The recent advent of the CF modulator drug ivacaftor, alone or in combination with lumacaftor or tezacaftor, has enabled systemic treatment of the majority of patients. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) show unique properties such as biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as magnetic and heat-medicated characteristics. These properties make them suitable to be used as drug carriers and hyperthermia-based agents. Hyperthermia is a promising approach for the thermal activation therapy of several diseases, including pulmonary diseases. The benefits of delivering CF drugs via inhalation using MNPs as drug carriers afford application of sufficient therapeutic dosages directly to the primary target site, while avoiding potential suboptimal pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics and minimizing the risks of systemic toxicity. This review explores the multidisciplinary approach of using MNPs as vehicles of drug delivery. Additionally, we highlight advantages such as increased drug concentration at disease site, minimized drug loss and the possibility of specific cell targeting, while addressing major challenges for this emerging field.
Highlights
Inhalation of medications for respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) play a pivotal role in the prophylaxis and treatment of these common respiratory diseases
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) play a vital role in the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) via acting as nano-knives, under the effect of external magnetic field, which can penetrate the thick mucus and biofilm layers to allow the exposure of micro-organisms and inflamed cells to the delivered drugs [44]
Current devices for drug delivery via inhalation can be broadly categorized into, firstly, aerosols delivered via nebulizers and, secondly, dry powders for inhalation delivered by dry powder inhalers (DPIs)
Summary
Inhalation of medications for respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) play a pivotal role in the prophylaxis and treatment of these common respiratory diseases. The most effective treatments involve aerosolised drug administration delivering corticosteroids in asthma or COPD, or antibiotics in lung infections directly to the respiratory tract, thereby achieving sufficient drug concentrations. A major advantage in delivering drugs directly to the lung is that aerosolised administration significantly decreases potential toxicity associated with systemic exposure (Figure 1). Ultrasonic systems, jet systems, and other systems using a vibrating mesh/aperture plate are employed as the primary tools for aerosolised pulmonary delivery of drugs via nebulization [1].
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