Modified-Release Pulmonary Delivery Systems for Labile Bioactives: Design, Development, and Applications.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmaceutics
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Pulmonary delivery offers a promising route for treating respiratory diseases.
• Physiological barriers like mucociliary clearance and immune responses hinder treatment efficacy, especially for labile bioactives (mRNA, peptides, proteins, probiotics).
• These bioactives are susceptible to degradation within the lung environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advanced drug delivery systems designed for pulmonary delivery of labile bioactives.
• To focus on overcoming physiological barriers and formulation challenges in the lung.
• To highlight the potential of pulmonary delivery for respiratory ailment prevention and treatment.

Main Methods:

• Exploration of various drug delivery platforms including polymeric nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles.
• Analysis of strategies for encapsulating and protecting labile bioactives.
• Discussion of formulation considerations for controlled and targeted lung delivery.

Main Results:

• Drug delivery platforms enhance bioavailability, enable sustained release, and improve formulation stability.
• Encapsulation protects labile bioactives from degradation.
• Platform modifications facilitate targeted drug delivery to specific lung sites.

Conclusions:

• Advanced drug delivery systems are crucial for overcoming pulmonary barriers to labile bioactive delivery.
• These systems offer improved therapeutic outcomes for respiratory conditions.
• Pulmonary delivery of labile bioactives holds significant potential for future respiratory medicine.