Pulmonary drug delivery using low shear nebulization sprays

Respiratory diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The recent global pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) has made us realize that effective and widely acceptable therapies against such diseases are still lacking and urgently needed. Administering drugs through aerosolization directly to the lungs, i.e. pulmonary delivery, enables targeted therapeutic effects while minimizing side effects by reducing systemic drug exposure. However, generically aerosol delivery is not very efficient, with only 5-15% of the initial medication deposited in the lungs. This is primarily linked with a wide aerosol drop size distribution, leading to inefficient aerosol deposition in the upper rather than lower respiratory tract. In addition, degradation of the medication during nebulization is also a challenge. This project aims to bridge the gap between aerosol generation and the deposition and transport of medication into the respiratory tract. We first propose an innovative soft nebulization method that reduces aerosol droplet coalescence by charging aerosols through friction. We will then use this optimized nebulization method to investigate how medication aerosols impact on the mucus in the respiratory tract, and devise strategies to enhance targeted aerosol deposition. In addition, we will investigate the transport of drug formulations within the airways in relation to their different rheological properties related to typical various respiratory diseases. This project will establish transformable and applicable technologies for advancing aerosol drug delivery to the respiratory tract.