This chapter details the intratracheal delivery of dry powder microparticles termed nano-in-microparticles (NIMs) for the purpose of in vivo targeted pulmonary drug delivery. The dry powder NIMs technology improves on previous inhaled chemotherapy platforms designed as liquid formulations. Dry powder microparticles were created through the process of spray drying; a protocol detailing the formulation of NIMs dry powder is included as a separate chapter in this book. Dry powder NIMs containing fluorescent nanoparticles and magnetically-responsive superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are intratracheally delivered (insufflated) in the presence of a magnetic field and targeted to the left lung of mice. The targeting efficiency of dry powder NIMs is compared to the targeting efficiency of liquid NIMs to demonstrate the superiority of dry power targeting platforms. Targeting is assessed using fluorescence associated with NIMs detected in the mouse trachea, left lung, and right lung by an in vivo imaging system.
Keywords: Dry powder; Insufflation; Intratracheal delivery; Iron oxide nanoparticles; Nano-in-microparticles; Pulmonary delivery; Superparamagnetism; Targeted drug delivery.