Targeted delivery of therapeutic oligonucleotides to pulmonary circulation.

Functional oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) such as antisense ODN (AS-ODN) show promise as new therapeutics for the treatment of a number of pulmonary diseases. They also hold potential to serve as a research tool for the study of gene function related to lung physiology. The success of their application is largely dependent on the development of an efficient delivery vehicle. This chapter summarizes work toward the development of lipidic vectors for targeted ODN delivery to pulmonary circulation. Recent advancements in the development of novel ODN are also discussed briefly.