Nanoparticle-based drug delivery for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and asthma: Progress and challenges

Pulmonary diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma affect millions of people all over the world. Conventional treatment methodologies are not sufficient to cure or prevent the disease. With the advent of nanotechnology, drug delivery to specific target site is still challenging, but targeted delivery can be achieved by physiochemical properties of the nanoparticles. Delivery of nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, and others has been extensively studied for successful delivery by inhalation and aerosols. Several factors such as size, density, surface, and physical-chemical properties of nanoparticle are essential to cross airway barriers. In this chapter, different nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery systems have been highlighted along with their applications and toxicity in COPD and asthma.