ABSTRACT

The human respiratory system comprises the conducting airways responsible for air transport and the respiratory zone where gas exchange takes place. By nature, the respiratory system is directly accessible from the outside. Therefore, drug administration via inhalation offers the possibility to treat respiratory diseases locally. Aerosol therapy possesses several advantages over other routes of drug application, like rapid onset of drug action, high local drug concentration, minimized systemic exposure and reduced side effects. Moreover, because of its large alveolar surface and the thin epithelial barrier with extensive vascularization, the lung is an ideal avenue for non-invasive systemic drug therapy.