Microdialysis in Ocular Drug Development

Abstract

Development of novel treatments for ocular diseases demands a complete understanding of ocular drug pharmacokinetics. Microdialysis is a continuous sampling technique that has been frequently applied for assessing ocular pharmacokinetic parameters. This sampling technique has gained considerable attention in ocular pharmacokinetics since it considerably reduces the requirement of large number of animals needed to obtain a complete pharmacokinetic profile. Remarkable progress has been made in ocular anterior and posterior segment microdialysis in recent years. These developments have simplified sampling of ocular fluids such as vitreous and aqueous humor. In this book chapter, the principle and application of microdialysis in measuring drug disposition in various segments of the eye will be discussed. This chapter will also highlight on recent progress on the development of various animal models and probe designs in ocular microdialysis.