Development of Lung Surfactant-Biomimetic Lipid Nanoparticles for Co-Delivery of Paclitaxel and Nintedanib

Description

Abstract

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and pulmonary fibrosis can further aggravate disease progression by creating a pro-tumorigenic and fibrotic lung microenvironment. Since fibrosis and lung cancer share key pathological mechanisms, including extracellular matrix remodeling, TGF-β signaling, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition, dual-action therapeutic strategies may offer a rational approach for patients with overlapping malignant and fibrotic lung pathology¹

The biocompatibility, structural versatility, and high drug loading capacities of lipid-based nanosystems make them ideal candidates for drug delivery applications. In this study, we developed lung surfactant-biomimetic lipid nanoparticles for the co-delivery of paclitaxel², a chemotherapeutic agent, and nintedanib³, an antifibrotic drug. The nanosystems were prepared and physicochemically characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) to determine hydrodynamic size, polydispersity index, and colloidal stability. Morphological evaluation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is being performed to confirm particle architecture. Drug encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity will be quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for both paclitaxel and nintedanib. Following characterization, in vitro studies will evaluate cytotoxicity, therapeutic efficacy, and potential antifibrotic activity in lung cancer and fibrosis-relevant cellular models.

Overall, this study presents a surfactant-biomimetic lipid nanoparticle platform designed for combined anticancer and antifibrotic drug delivery, targeting the biological interface between lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis.