Lipid-Based Drug Delivery for Pneumonia Treatment

Respiratory tract infections are a significant problem that severely impacts public health due to high morbidity and mortality rates. The causes of respiratory tract infections are bacteria, fungi, and viruses, thus requiring antibiotics, antifungal, and antivirus agents. In addition to treating the causes of bacterial, fungal, or viral pneumonia, alternative therapies are required to address the symptoms caused by infection. The use of the pulmonary route is increasingly common because it is possible to target drugs specifically on the respiratory tract locally and systemically. Undesirable systemic effects can be minimized because the drug acts with maximum pulmonary specificity and rapid onset of action. However, the drug’s solubility and permeability highly determine its capability to reach target sites and produce therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, an innovative drug delivery system using a non-invasive and practical approach is required to enhance therapeutic efficacy and drug safety. Considering the pathophysiology of pneumonia, the physicochemical properties of delivery carriers significantly affect drug deposition. The use of lipids in liposomes, microspheres, and solid-lipid nanoparticles successfully improved drug solubility and enhanced its penetration for achieving high drug accumulation in lung tissue, providing future use for pneumonia treatment.