Abstract
Ocular diseases can deteriorate vision to the point of blindness and thus can have a major impact on the daily life of an individual. Conventional therapies are unable to provide absolute therapy for all ocular diseases due to the several limitations during drug delivery across the blood-retinal barrier, making it a major clinical challenge. With recent developments, the vast number of publications undergird the need for nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems in treating ocular diseases. The tool of nanotechnology provides several essential advantages, including sustained drug release and specific tissue targeting. Additionally, comprehensive in vitro and in vivo studies have suggested a better uptake of nanoparticles across ocular barriers. Nanoparticles can overcome the blood-retinal barrier and consequently increase ocular penetration and improve the bioavailability of the drug. In this review, we aim to summarize the development of organic and inorganic nanoparticles for ophthalmic applications. We highlight the potential nanoformulations in clinical trials as well as the products that have become a commercial reality.
Highlights
Topical applications of eyedrops [13]. These promising effects have made liposomes an Bochot et al [14] studied a novel approach to design an ocular drug delivery system that is based on the dispersion of PEGylated liposomes into a thermosensitive gel, which is made of a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide
Dendrimers, a name derived from the Greek etymology meaning “tree”, are monodisperse macromolecules with well-defined size and a molecular structure composed of three major parts: (i) an inner core located inside the central molecule of the dendrimer, (ii) a highly branching unit forming a multilayer that links to the core called generation, and (iii) an outer surface with numerous valent functional groups [38]
Nanoemulsion is a colloidal system composed of two liquid phases, oil dispersed in water or water dispersed in oil, in which the nanoemulsion droplets with size 20–500 nm are stabilized by surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium dodecyl sulfate [53,54]
Summary
Like eye drops, is the most common and simple route for drug delivery to the anterior segment. Topical applications do not reach the posterior segment of the eyes, which makes intravitreal administration (IVT) of a drug the common route of administration. The development of lipid-based nanocarriers has emerged into pharmaceutical industries and attracted attention from formulation scientists for its high drug solubility, substance release, and specific targeting. Organic nanoparticles, such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and dendrimers, are fabricated and developed to improve therapeutic drug delivery for the ocular disease [5,6]. We will summarize the current nanoformulations under clinical trials and the potential formulations available on the market
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