ENHANCED DRUG DELIVERY WITH ORIENTABLE PARTICLES

摘要

Small airway deposition of orientable drug particles in the lung due to interception is increased through alignment of these particles with an externally applied force such as a magnetic field. Drug particles in one embodiment are made magnetically responsive by loading them with magnetic nanoparticles. Elongated particles have a natural tendency to align parallel to the direction of flow through an airway, and therefore also parallel to airway walls; accordingly, alignment with a magnetic field to any other orientation increases interception, with a maximum increase for alignment perpendicular to airway walls. By positioning a magnetic field across a specific site within the lung, for example in the area of a tumor, the increase in deposition by interception allows localized targeting of inhaled drug particles to that area.