Abstract
Chitosan (CS) is a hemi-synthetic cationic linear polysaccharide produced by the deacetylation of chitin. CS is non-toxic, highly biocompatible, and biodegradable, and it has a low immunogenicity. Additionally, CS has inherent antibacterial properties and a mucoadhesive character and can disrupt epithelial tight junctions, thus acting as a permeability enhancer. As such, CS and its derivatives are well-suited for the challenging field of ocular drug delivery. In the present review article, we will discuss the properties of CS that contribute to its successful application in ocular delivery before reviewing the latest advances in the use of CS for the development of novel ophthalmic delivery systems. Colloidal nanocarriers (nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes) will be presented, followed by CS gels and lenses and ocular inserts. Finally, instances of CS coatings, aiming at conferring mucoadhesiveness to other matrixes, will be presented.
Highlights
Ocular diseases affect a growing number of people across the globe
We will discuss the properties of CS that contribute to its successful application in ocular delivery, before reviewing the latest advances in the use of CS for the development of novel ophthalmic delivery systems
Numerous applications and different drug delivery systems have been reported in the field of ocular drug delivery with promising results in terms of increased drug bioavailability and improved therapeutic effect
Summary
Ocular diseases affect a growing number of people across the globe. Some pathological ophthalmic conditions, such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or age-related macular degeneration, cause severe visual impairment that can lead to blindness. The generally accepted and less harmful solution to improve therapeutic treatment and drug bioavailability is to the increase the residence time of drop formulations on the ocular surface, increasing drug concentration on the cornea and reducing drug waste [12] This has been achieved with drug-impregnated contact lenses, patches, colloidal carriers (nanoparticles, different kind of liposomes, etc.,), microneedles, films, gels, or solutions of mucoadhesive polymers, which is the simplest method [3,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23]. CS has been used as a coating, to confer mucoadhesiveness to other matrixes, and such examples will be discussed as well
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