About this Research Topic
Thoracic diseases represent some of the major healthcare challenges worldwide. The conditions range from angiocardiopathy, to common cold, asthma, bronchiolitis, to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), tuberculosis, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. The diseases also include respiratory tract infections such as COVID-19. Current diagnosis and treatment options are effective but not without limitations. One of the challenges is selectively delivering therapeutics to the affect lung(s). To address the issue, there is a reinvigorated interest of exploiting the pulmonary route for delivery. While inhalers have long been used in the clinic to deliver pharmaceuticals such as anesthetic agents and bronchodilators, using the route for delivering DNA/RNA therapeutics as well as nanoparticles (including liposomes, polymers, and inorganics, etc.) represent a new approach. The improvement in delivery could enhance local control while reducing systemic toxicity. Pulmonary administration may also be used to deliver imaging agents or drugs to lungs in a highly specific manner. The behaviors of pulmonary administration delivered agents in the field of thoracic imaging/therapy. Their theoretical basis, biodistribution, excretion mechanisms and biosafety assessment after administration are of significance for the development of flexible pulmonary administration. Therefore, this field represents an emerging research area with exciting opportunities and innovative solutions to grand clinical challenges.
In this topic, we solicit submissions reporting recent progress on pulmonary administration. Both research papers and review articles are welcome. Related topics include but are not limited to the following:
• Clinical trials on new drugs delivered through the pulmonary route.
• Investigating nanoparticle or genetic formulations given through pulmonary administration.
• Advanced aerosol, nebulization, instillation, or inhalation therapies.
• Safety and pharmacokinetics related studies.
• Mechanisms of imaging and therapy.
• Intratracheal or pulmonary delivery instrument, device, or medical facilities.
• Delivery-associated complications such as respiratory mucosal immunity.
• Bronchoscope applications in the context of thoracic disease treatment.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in precision detection of thoracic diseases.
• Challenges in the pulmonary delivery of therapeutics.
In this topic, we solicit submissions reporting recent progress on pulmonary administration. Both research papers and review articles are welcome. Related topics include but are not limited to the following:
• Clinical trials on new drugs delivered through the pulmonary route.
• Investigating nanoparticle or genetic formulations given through pulmonary administration.
• Advanced aerosol, nebulization, instillation, or inhalation therapies.
• Safety and pharmacokinetics related studies.
• Mechanisms of imaging and therapy.
• Intratracheal or pulmonary delivery instrument, device, or medical facilities.
• Delivery-associated complications such as respiratory mucosal immunity.
• Bronchoscope applications in the context of thoracic disease treatment.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in precision detection of thoracic diseases.
• Challenges in the pulmonary delivery of therapeutics.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
