Abstract

Since the early 2000s, nanomedicine has emerged as a fascinating interdisciplinary field of research based on the use of nanoscale materials or devices for diagnosis and drug delivery as well as therapeutic methods for the development of nanopharmaceuticals. Respiratory diseases make up 5 of the 30 most common causes of death and the numbers are likely to increase in the near future. In recent years, nanomedicine has gained immense popularity for the targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic compounds to the lungs, and a number of respiratory diseases have been approached using nanomedicines like solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLN), liposomes, dendrimers, micelles, nanotubes, and nanocarriers. However, the biodegradability and toxicity of the polymers for long-term use should be closely examined in the formulation of polymeric NPs for pulmonary delivery. Also, from a safety perspective, the need to connect several major themes, viz. safety, regulation, research quality, and innovation of current respiratory nanotoxicology, are apparent.