Glucocorticoid Nanoparticles Show Full Therapeutic Efficacy in a Mouse Model of Acute Lung Injury and Concomitantly Reduce Adverse Effects

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are widely used to treat inflammatory disorders such as acute lung injury (ALI). Here, we explored inorganic–organic hybrid nanoparticles (IOH-NPs) as a new delivery vehicle for GCs in a mouse model of ALI. Betamethasone (BMZ) encapsulated into IOH-NPs (BNPs) ameliorated the massive infiltration of neutrophils into the airways with a similar efficacy as the free drug. This was accompanied by a potent inhibition of pulmonary gene expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators, whereas the alveolar–capillary barrier integrity was only restored by BMZ in its traditional form. Experiments with genetically engineered mice identified myeloid cells and alveolar type II (AT II) cells as essential targets of BNPs in ALI therapy, confirming their high cell-type specificity. Consequently, adverse effects were reduced when using IOH-NPs for GC delivery. BNPs did not alter T and B cell numbers in the blood and also prevented the induction of muscle atrophy after three days of treatment. Collectively, our data suggest that IOH-NPs target GCs to myeloid and AT II cells, resulting in full therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of ALI while being associated with reduced adverse effects.