Advanced Inhalable Drug Delivery Systems: Formulation, Manufacturing, and Therapeutic Applications in Respiratory Disease

Inhalable drug delivery represents one of the most effective and targeted approaches for treating respiratory diseases, offering direct delivery of therapeutic agents to the lungs while minimizing systemic side effects. With the increasing burden of chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, and infectious diseases like COVID-19, there is an urgent need for more efficient and patient-adapted inhalation therapies. Recent advances in material science, aerosol engineering, and biopharmaceutical formulation have led to the emergence of nanosystems, microparticles, and hybrid carriers specifically tailored for pulmonary administration. However, despite significant scientific progress, challenges remain in scaling up production, ensuring stability and reproducibility of complex formulations, and translating promising preclinical results to consistent clinical outcomes.Recent studies underscore the potential of novel carriers such as lipid nanoparticles, polymeric microparticles, and engineered dry powders in enhancing drug targeting, permeability, and residence time in the lung. Advanced manufacturing platforms - including spray drying, freeze drying, and inkjet printing - are being used to achieve precise control over particle size, morphology, and aerodynamic performance. Still, the translation of these approaches to regulatory-compliant and economically feasible products remains limited. Key questions persist regarding optimal formulation properties for deep lung deposition, device compatibility, long-term safety, and the capacity of inhalable systems to deliver biotherapeutics such as peptides, antibodies, and nucleic acids.This Research Topic aims to bring together interdisciplinary studies that advance the design, production, and clinical applicability of inhalable drug delivery systems for respiratory disease management. It seeks to highlight breakthroughs across the entire development pipeline - from fundamental formulation science and device integration to preclinical evaluation (including advanced models such as lung-on-a-chip and 3D cell spheroids) and therapeutic translation. The goal is to identify strategies that can bridge current gaps between laboratory innovation, scalable manufacturing, and real-world patient-centred applications, ultimately contributing to more effective and accessible respiratory therapies.To gather further insights in inhalable drug development for respiratory disease, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:&#8226 Advanced formulation and particle engineering for pulmonary delivery&#8226 Manufacturing techniques and quality control for inhalation products&#8226 Device–formulation compatibility and aerosol performance optimization&#8226 Inhalable biotherapeutics, gene delivery systems, and novel carriers (including dry powder nanocarriers)&#8226 Preclinical and clinical evaluation of novel inhaled therapies (including lung-on-a-chip, 3D cell spheroids, and molecular imaging)&#8226 Regulatory and translational perspectives in pulmonary drug delivery Topic editors: Manish Kumar, Mohammad Momin, Brayan Javier Anaya Meza Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82214/advanced-inhalable-drug-delivery-systems-formulation-manufacturing-and-therapeutic-applications-in-respiratory-disease