Bioengineering approach for pulmonary drug delivery

Nature offers a wide range of sources of inspiration for the synthesis of more effective drug delivery platforms. Bioinspired technology has been increasingly proposed for lung drug delivery applications. The strategy of combining the intrinsic and more general advantages of the biomimetic structures with specificities that improve the therapeutic outcomes of particular clinical situations is frequent. These include the surface engineering of the carriers by means of altering the material structure such as chemical modifications, the addition of specific ligands so that predefined targets are reached, and the tuning of the carrier properties to respond to specific stimuli. Furthermore, virus- and cell-derived biomimetic delivery systems combine the intrinsic hallmarks of biological membranes with the delivery capabilities of synthetic carriers. By mimicking these biological entities, we can efficiently interact with the human body and refine the ability to negotiate with the biological barriers that impair the therapeutic efficacy of lung drug delivery. This chapter addresses the features and properties of biomimetic delivery systems, the applications of bioinspired carriers and cell-based delivery aimed at lung drug delivery of active biological and pharmaceutical ingredients, focusing with particular interest on multifunctional carriers and vectors that endowed with improved circulation, enhanced targeting, and responsiveness to the biological environment.