Nanotherapeutics in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a form of oxygenation failure primarily characterized by rapid inflammation resulting from a direct pulmonary or indirect systemic insult. ARDS has been a major cause of death in the recent COVID-19 outbreak wherein asymptomatic respiratory tract infection progresses to ARDS from pneumonia have emphasized the need for a reliable therapy for the disease. The disease has a high mortality rate of approximately 30–50%. Despite the high mortality rate, a dearth of effective pharmacotherapy exists that demands extensive research in this area. The complex ARDS pathophysiology which remains to be understood completely and the multifactorial etiology of the disease has led to the poor diagnosis, impeded drug-delivery to the deeper pulmonary tissues, and delayed treatment of the ARDS patients. Besides, critically ill patients are unable to tolerate the off-target side effects. The vast domain of nanobiotechnology presents several drug delivery systems offering numerous benefits such as targeted delivery, prolonged drug release, and uniform drug-distribution. The present review presents a brief insight into the ARDS pathophysiology and summarizes conventional pharmacotherapies available to date. Furthermore, the review provides an updated report of major developments in the nanomedicinal approaches for the treatment of ARDS. We also discuss different nano-formulations studied extensively in the ARDS preclinical models along with underlining the advantages as well as challenges that need to be addressed in the future.

Formulation of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Loaded with Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and Characterization in a Murine Model of Airway Hyperresponsiveness

“…Wang et al [ 43 ] also reported that curcumin–SLN administration is more effective than curcumin in attenuating asthma progression. Additionally, other authors have proven that proanthocyanidins–SLNs allow them to play a better role in oxidative stress, suppressing airway epithelial cells [ 44 , 45 ]. Together, these studies indicate the potential of SLNs to improve therapeutic drug efficacy as a drug delivery vehicle.…”

Nebulized pH-Responsive Nanospray Combined with Pentoxifylline and Edaravone to Lungs for Efficient Treatments of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

“…In recent years, there has been a significant progress in nanotechnology, opening a new avenue for improving the efficacy of inhalation therapy of various lung diseases. − The nanodrug delivery system has achieved great progress, with the advantages in improving the solubility of drugs, codelivery, targeting delivery of therapeutic drugs, and extending drug half-life for better therapeutic effects. − Among various nanocarriers, zeolite imidazolate frameworks-8 (ZIF-8), composed of 2-methylimidazolate and Zn 2+ with minimal cytotoxicity has attracted wide attention . Moreover, ZIF-8 is vulnerable to disintegration in an acid environment, which is advantageous for effective pH-controlled release.…”

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for predicting the biodistribution of albumin nanoparticles after induction and recovery from acute lung injury

“…Despite advances in critical care, there is currently no effective medication targeting the underlying pathophysiology of ALI, and management of this disease remains supportive, mostly focusing on addressing the inciting cause [ 30 ]. The limited success of pharmacological therapies has led to the development of new agents, such as innovative nanomedicine approaches, specifically aimed at treating ALI [ [31] , [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] ].…”