Table 7.
Inhalable nanomedicines developed at the preclinical level for treating lung carcinoma.
| Nanocarrier | Drug | Observations | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liposomes | Curcumin | Better aerosolization properties. Selective cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells compared to healthy lung cells. Higher in vivo anticancer activity. |
[196] |
| Pirfenidone | Good aerosolization performance More cytotoxic effect against A549 cells than non-encapsulated drug. |
[208] | |
| Paclitaxel | Higher lung accumulation of paclitaxel compared to i.v. administration. Tumour reduction compared to non-treated animals. Higher survival rate compared to non-treated animals. |
[197] | |
| Erlotinib | Good aerosolization performance using vibrating mesh nebulisers. | [201] | |
| Niosomes | Gemcitabine and paclitaxel | Aerosol output of 96.2%. Lower toxicity in healthy lung cells (MRC5) compared to free drugs (IC50 = 280 µg/mL vs IC50 < 1.6 µg/mL). Lower cytotoxic activity in lung cancer (A529 cells) compared to free drugs (IC50 = 46 µg/mL vs IC50 < 1.6 µg/mL). |
[207] |
| Nanostructured lipid particles | Paclitaxel | Higher distribution in the lungs of the pulmonary route compared to intravenous injection. No signs of systemic toxicity after pulmonary administration. |
[198] |
| Paclitaxel | Better lung accumulation compared to free paclitaxel. Higher anticancer activity than free paclitaxel. |
[199] | |
| Paclitaxel and Doxorrubicin | Higher antiproliferative effect in A549 cells. Higher distribution in the lungs compared to non-encapsulated drugs. |
[206] | |
| Solid lipid nanoparticles | Doxorubicin | Higher deposition of administered doses compared to inhaled free doxorubicin. Reach deeper regions in the lungs. Higher plasmatic level of doxorubicin compared to the administration of inhaled free doxorubicin. |
[202] |
| Polymeric nanoparticles | Quinacrine (mepacrine) | Nanoparticles incorporating albumin on their surface. Good aerosolization properties. Improved in vitro anticancer activity in NSCLC compared to the free drug. Higher apoptosis induction. |
[205] |
| Sorafenib | Appropriate aerosolization properties. Higher in vivo anticancer activity in NSCLC |
[203] |
Key: intravenous (iv); non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).