Controlled Pulmonary Delivery of Carrier-Free Budesonide Dry Powder by Atomic Layer Deposition
Damiano La Zara, Feilong Sun, Fuweng Zhang, Frans Franek, Kinga Balogh Sivars, Jenny Horndahl, Stephanie M. Bates, Marie Brännström, Pär Ewing, Michael J. Quayle, Gunilla Petersson, Staffan Folestad, J. Ruud van Ommen
Abstract
aerosolization testing by fast screening impactor shows a ∼2-fold increase in fine particle fraction (FPF) for each ALD-coated budesonide formulation after 10 ALD process cycles, also applying very low patient inspiratory pressures. The higher FPFs after the ALD process are attributed to the reduction in the interparticle force arising from the ceramic surfaces, as evidenced by atomic force microscopy measurements. Finally, cell viability, cytokine release, and tissue morphology analyses verify a safe and efficacious use of ALD-coated budesonide particles at the cellular level. Therefore, surface nanoengineering by ALD is highly promising in providing the next generation of inhaled formulations with tailored characteristics of drug release and lung deposition, thereby enhancing controlled pulmonary delivery opportunities.