This technology uses lung-targeting lipid nanoparticles to deliver a combination of anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating drugs directly to the lungs, offering a more effective and targeted treatment for acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are severe, life-threatening conditions characterized by widespread inflammation and increased permeability in the lungs, often resulting from infection, trauma, or other critical illnesses. These syndromes lead to impaired gas exchange, hypoxemia, and respiratory failure, frequently requiring intensive care and mechanical ventilation. Despite advances in supportive care, mortality rates for ALI/ARDS remain high, underscoring the urgent need for more effective therapeutic interventions. The complexity of these conditions, which involve dysregulated immune responses and extensive lung tissue damage, has driven ongoing research into targeted therapies that can modulate inflammation and promote tissue repair directly within the lungs. Current treatment strategies for ALI/ARDS are largely supportive, focusing on mechanical ventilation and fluid management, with pharmacological interventions offering only modest benefits. Conventional drugs such as corticosteroids, neuromuscular blockers, and inhaled nitric oxide have shown limited efficacy in improving patient outcomes, and many promising agents—including antioxidants, statins, surfactant therapy, and cytokine inhibitors—have failed to demonstrate consistent clinical benefit. One major limitation of existing approaches is the lack of targeted delivery to lung tissue, resulting in suboptimal drug concentrations at the site of injury and increased risk of systemic side effects. Furthermore, most therapies address only a single aspect of the disease process, rather than the multifaceted immune and inflammatory pathways involved in ALI/ARDS, leaving a significant gap in effective, comprehensive treatment options.
Technology Overview: This technology utilizes specialized lung-targeting lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) designed for the intravenous delivery of multiple therapeutic agents to treat acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The LNPs are engineered to transport a combination of an anti-inflammatory drug and immune modulators directly to lung tissue. By leveraging the unique properties of lipid nanoparticles, this approach enables precise targeting of the lung, ensuring that the therapeutic agents are delivered efficiently to the site of injury. Preclinical studies in mouse models have demonstrated that this multi-agent delivery system can enhance localized therapeutic effects, potentially offering a more effective treatment for ALI/ARDS compared to conventional therapies. What differentiates this technology is its multi-modal, lung-specific delivery strategy, which addresses several key limitations of current ALI/ARDS treatments. Traditional therapies often suffer from limited efficacy and significant systemic side effects due to non-specific drug distribution. In contrast, the LNP system’s ability to co-deliver synergistic agents directly to the lungs allows for simultaneous suppression of inflammation, modulation of immune responses, and targeted inhibition of specific inflammatory pathways. This integrated approach not only maximizes therapeutic efficacy but also minimizes off-target effects, representing a significant advancement over existing non-targeted therapies. The innovation lies in the combination of targeted delivery, multi-agent synergy, and the potential for improved patient outcomes, positioning this technology as a transformative solution for severe lung injuries.
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Advantages: • Targeted delivery of therapeutic agents specifically to lung tissue enhances treatment efficacy for ALI/ARDS. • Combination of anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and pathway-specific inhibitors provides a multi-modal therapeutic approach. • Intravenous administration of lipid nanoparticles enables efficient and localized drug delivery. • Potential to reduce systemic side effects compared to conventional treatments. • Demonstrated promising efficacy in preclinical mouse models of lung injury. • Addresses significant unmet medical needs in treating acute lung injury and respiratory distress syndrome. • Innovative use of proprietary lung-targeting lipid nanoparticles as a delivery platform for multiple complementary agents in one system.
Applications: • ALI/ARDS hospital treatment enhancement • Targeted drug delivery for lungs • Acute respiratory failure emergency care
Intellectual Property Summary: Patent application: 63/813,654, filed on 05/29/2025
Stage of Development: TRL 3
Licensing Status: This technology is available for licensing.