Human Picobirnavirus Capsids as Potential Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery Within Pulmonary Surfactant Contexts

Pulmonary surfactant (PS) is a complex mixture of lipids and proteins synthesized, assembled and secreted into the alveolar space by type II pneumocytes. The particular composition and structure of PS makes it an attractive system for delivering different types of drugs and nanoparticles along the respiratory surface. PS is able to adsorb and spread very rapidly at the air-liquid interface, efficiently transporting poorly-water soluble molecules along it. However, because of the intrinsic permeability of surfactant membranes, PS is less effective in carrying large hydrophilic assemblies. Thus, it is important to design new nanocarriers for delivering different cargos taking advantage of PS ability to reach and distribute along the lower respiratory tract