Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer as a Respiratory Nanocarrier: Insights from Experiments and Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Pulmonary drug delivery is superior to the systemic administration in treating lung diseases. An optimal respiratory nanocarrier should be able to efficiently and safely cross the pulmonary surfactant film, which serves as the first biological barrier for respiratory delivery and plays paramount roles in maintaining the proper mechanics of breathing. In this work, we focused on the interactions between poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers and a model pulmonary surfactant.

Effects of graphene oxide nanosheets on the ultrastructure and biophysical properties of the pulmonary surfactant film.

Graphene oxide (GO) is the most common derivative of graphene and has been used in a large range of biomedical applications. Despite considerable progress in understanding its cytotoxicity, its potential inhalation toxicity is still largely unknown. As the pulmonary surfactant (PS) film is the first line of host defense, interaction with the PS film determines the fate of the inhaled nanomaterials and their potential toxicity.

Crucial Role of Lateral Size for Graphene Oxide in Activating Macrophages and Stimulating Pro-inflammatory Responses in Cells and Animals.

Graphene oxide (GO) is increasingly used in biomedical applications because it possesses not only the unique properties of graphene including large surface area and flexibility but also hydrophilicity and dispersibility in aqueous solutions. However, there are conflicting results on its biocompatibility and biosafety partially due to large variations in physicochemical properties of GO, and the role of these properties including lateral size in the biological or toxicological effects of GO is still unclear. In this study, we focused on the role of lateral size by preparing a panel of GO samples with differential lateral sizes using the same starting material.

Biophysical influence of airborne carbon nanomaterials on natural pulmonary surfactant.

Inhalation of nanoparticles (NP), including lightweight airborne carbonaceous nanomaterials (CNM), poses a direct and systemic health threat to those who handle them. Inhaled NP penetrate deep pulmonary structures in which they first interact with the pulmonary surfactant (PS) lining at the alveolar air-water interface. In spite of many research efforts, there is a gap of knowledge between in vitro biophysical study and in vivo inhalation toxicology since all existing biophysical models handle NP-PS interactions in the liquid phase.

Physicochemical properties of nanoparticles regulate translocation across pulmonary surfactant monolayer and formation of lipoprotein corona.

Interaction with the pulmonary surfactant film, being the first line of host defense, represents the initial bio-nano interaction in the lungs. Such interaction determines the fate of the inhaled nanoparticles and their potential therapeutic or toxicological effect. Despite considerable progress in optimizing physicochemical properties of nanoparticles for improved delivery and targeting, the mechanisms by which inhaled nanoparticles interact with the pulmonary surfactant film are still largely unknown.