title: Pulmonary drug delivery. Part I: physiological factors affecting therapeutic effectiveness of aerosolized medications.
abstract: As the end organ for the treatment of local diseases or as the route of administration for systemic therapies, the lung is a very attractive target for drug delivery. It provides direct access to disease in the treatment of respiratory diseases, while providing an enormous surface area and a relatively low enzymatic, controlled environment for systemic absorption of medications. As a major port of entry, the lung has evolved to prevent the invasion of unwanted airborne particles from entering into the body. Airway geometry, humidity, mucociliary clearance and alveolar macrophages play a vital role in maintaining the sterility of the lung and consequently are barriers to the therapeutic effectiveness of inhaled medications. In addition, a drug's efficacy may be affected by where in the respiratory tract it is deposited, its delivered dose and the disease it may be trying to treat.
authors: Department of Medicine at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. labir@mcmaster.ca
authors: N R
authors: NR
authors: Labiris
authors: M B
authors: MB
authors: Dolovich
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000336:Aerosols / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001980:Bronchi / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000502:physiology*; D010316:Particle Size; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations