Department of Biochemistry, Fac. of Biology, and Research Institut "Hospital 12 de Octubre", Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
Department of Biochemistry, Fac. of Biology, and Research Institut "Hospital 12 de Octubre", Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2017 Sep;1859(9 Pt B):1740-1748. doi: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.04.019. Epub 2017 Apr 25.
Pulmonary surfactant is a membrane-based lipid-protein system essential for the process of breathing, which coats and stabilizes the whole respiratory surface and possesses exceptional biophysical properties. It constitutes the first barrier against the entry of pathogens and harmful particles in the alveolar region, extended through the lungs, but on the other hand, it can offer novel possibilities as a shuttle for the delivery of drugs and nanocarriers. The advances in nanotechnology are opening the doors to new diagnostic and therapeutic avenues, which are not accessible by means of the current approaches. In this context, the pulmonary route is called to become a powerful way of entry for innovative treatments based on nanotechnology. In this review, the anatomy of the respiratory system and its properties for drug entry are first revisited, as well as some current strategies that use the respiratory route for both local and peripheral action. Then, a brief overview is presented on what pulmonary surfactant is, how it works and why it could be used as a drug delivery vehicle. Finally, the review is closed with a description of the development of nanocarriers in the lung context and their interaction with endogenous and clinical pulmonary surfactants. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs Targeting Biomembranes edited by Pablo V. Escribá.
肺表面活性剂是一种基于膜的脂-蛋白体系，对呼吸过程至关重要，它覆盖并稳定整个呼吸表面，并具有特殊的物理化学性质。它构成了防止病原体和有害颗粒进入肺泡区域的第一道屏障，通过肺部延伸，但另一方面，它可以为药物和纳米载体的输送提供新的可能性。纳米技术的进步为新的诊断和治疗方法开辟了道路，而这些方法是目前的方法所无法实现的。在这种情况下，肺部途径被认为是一种基于纳米技术的创新治疗方法的有力途径。在这篇综述中，首先回顾了呼吸系统的解剖结构及其药物进入的特性，以及一些利用呼吸系统进行局部和周围作用的当前策略。然后，简要概述了肺表面活性剂是什么、它是如何工作的以及为什么它可以用作药物输送载体。最后，描述了纳米载体在肺部环境中的发展及其与内源性和临床肺表面活性剂的相互作用。本文是由 Pablo V. Escribá 编辑的题为“膜脂治疗：靶向生物膜的药物”的特刊的一部分。
