Lipid Nanocarriers for Extended-Release Pulmonary Antiviral and Antimicrobial Therapy

Respiratory drug delivery is an important area of research for improving the treatment and prevention of viral, bacterial, and fungal lung infections. Despite advances in anti-infective medicines, conventional inhaled therapies are often cleared rapidly from the respiratory tract, provide limited intracellular exposure, and require frequent administration. These limitations may reduce therapeutic efficacy, compromise patient adherence, and contribute to suboptimal management of acute and chronic respiratory infections. Lipid nanocarriers - including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, and lipid–polymer hybrid systems - have emerged as promising platforms because they can protect labile therapeutics, improve pulmonary deposition, facilitate cellular uptake, and enable controlled drug release. Recent progress in nanotechnology, inhalation formulation science, and pulmonary pharmacology has supported the development of long-acting inhaled therapies involving small molecules, biologics, nucleic acids, antimicrobial peptides, and combination treatments. However, important questions remain regarding lung disposition, formulation stability, aerosol performance, intracellular targeting, immunological effects, long-term safety, and the relationship between nanocarrier characteristics and therapeutic outcomes. Further investigation is needed to establish robust design principles and accelerate the clinical translation of lipid-based pulmonary medicines.This Research Topic aims to advance the design, development, characterization, and translation of lipid nanocarrier systems for extended-release pulmonary delivery of antiviral and antimicrobial therapeutics. It will address how carrier composition, particle properties, drug loading, release mechanisms, and inhalation performance influence pulmonary residence time, local and systemic pharmacokinetics, intracellular delivery, pharmacodynamic activity, and safety. Contributions may also examine whether long-acting lipid formulations can improve treatment adherence, reduce dosing frequency, overcome biological barriers, and support more effective responses to respiratory infections and antimicrobial resistance.To gather further insights in the development and translation of lipid-based, extended-release inhaled therapies for viral, bacterial, and fungal respiratory infections, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:&#8226 Design and optimization of liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers&#8226 Lipid–polymer hybrid and other advanced lipid-based pulmonary delivery systems&#8226 Formulation development, drug loading, stability, and controlled-release mechanisms&#8226 Aerosolization, inhaler technologies, powder and liquid formulations, and pulmonary deposition&#8226 Lung disposition, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic evaluation, and pharmacological modeling&#8226 Intracellular delivery and targeting of respiratory pathogens and infected lung cells&#8226 Delivery of antivirals, antibiotics, antifungals, biologics, nucleic acids, and antimicrobial peptides&#8226 Combination therapies and strategies addressing antimicrobial resistance&#8226 In vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models of respiratory infection&#8226 Pulmonary, systemic, immunological, and toxicological safety assessment&#8226 Translational, manufacturing, quality-control, and regulatory considerations&#8226 Clinical development and evaluation of long-acting inhaled lipid-based medicines Topic editors: Arun Kumar Kotha, Basanth Babu Eedara, Rachel Yoon Chang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85209/lipid-nanocarriers-for-extended-release-pulmonary-antiviral-and-antimicrobial-therapy