Advances in natural product-based nanoparticles for the treatment of acute lung injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a rapid-onset inflammatory pathology in pulmonary tissue induced by multiple causative agents. ALI usually develops rapidly within hours to days after an acute episode, and despite the development of aggressive therapeutic measures, the prognosis of patients with ALI remains poor. Currently, the clinical treatment of ALI is based on supportive therapy, and with the advancement of technology, many natural products have been used for the treatment of ALI because of their advantages, such as lower drug resistance and more abundant sources; however, shortcomings such as its lower targeting limit its further clinical application. The use of nanotechnology may be an effective way to address these issues. The combination of natural products and nanotechnology offers the possibility of solving the problems of their low bioavailability and poor water solubility, which is expected to promote their application in the field of ALI therapy. Natural product-based nanomaterials can control the progression of ALI through mechanisms such as modulating immune responses and reducing tissue inflammation. This review focuses on the roles of natural product-based nanoparticles in the treatment of ALI and further elaborates on the problems and challenges faced by natural product-based nanoparticles in the effective clinical treatment of ALI.