Nanotechnology-based inhalation treatments for lung cancer: state of the art

Javed Ahmad,^1,* Sohail Akhter,^2,3,* Md Rizwanullah,¹ Saima Amin,¹ Mahfoozur Rahman,⁴ Mohammad Zaki Ahmad,⁵ Moshahid Alam Rizvi,⁶ Mohammad A Kamal,⁷ Farhan Jalees Ahmad<sup>1,2

1</sup>Department of Pharmaceutics, ²Nanomedicine Research Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India; ³Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire(CBM)-CNRS UPR4301, University of Orléans, Orléans Cedex 2, France; ⁴Department of Pharmaceutics, Abhilashi College of Pharmacy, Mandi, HP, India; ⁵Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Najran University, Saudi Arabia; ⁶Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India; ⁷Metabolomics and Enzymology Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Abstract: Considering the challenges associated with conventional chemotherapy, targeted and local delivery of chemotherapeutics via nanoparticle (NP) carriers to the lungs is an emerging area of interest. Recent studies and growing clinical application in cancer nanotechnology showed the huge potential of NPs as drug carriers in cancer therapy, including in lung carcinoma for diagnosis, imaging, and theranostics. Researchers have confirmed that nanotechnology-based inhalation chemotherapy is viable and more effective than conventional chemotherapy, with lesser side effects. Recently, many nanocarriers have been investigated, including liposomes, polymeric micelles, polymeric NPs, solid lipid NPs, and inorganic NPs for inhalation treatments of lung cancer. Yet, the toxicity of such nanomaterials to the lungs tissues and further distribution to other organs due to systemic absorption on inhalation delivery is a debatable concern. Here, prospect of NPs-based local lung cancer targeting through inhalation route as well as its associated challenges are discussed.

Keywords: nanoparticles, lung cancer, inhalational chemotherapy, drug targeting, nanotoxicity

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