Rosuvastatin-laden nanofibrous patches for effective treatment of corneal ulcer in experimental animals

Abstract

Corneal ulceration is a "silent epidemic" that impacts laborers’ lives, particularly in low-income countries, and calls for a unique ophthalmic drug delivery strategy that overcomes ocular barriers to promptly achieve therapeutic outcomes while remaining cost-effective. Rosuvastatin, a third-generation statin that significantly accelerates tissue regeneration and wound healing, could be proposed as a potential treatment for corneal ulcers. Based on these pillars, the current study aims to develop a nanofibers-based corneal patch laden with rosuvastatin, for the first time, as a novel approach for the treatment of corneal ulcers. Several characterizations were performed for the rosuvastatin-laden nanofibers (e.g., drug encapsulation efficiency, drug loading capacity, morphological analysis, elemental mapping, compatibility with other ingredients, and in vitro release studies) indicating the nanofibers' feasibility for the stated purpose. The therapeutic effects of rosuvastatin-laden nanofibers were examined on a surgically generated corneal ulcer rabbit model. The treatment outcomes were evaluated both macroscopically (e.g., corneal opacity degree and area of ulceration) and histologically demonstrating that the rosuvastatin-laden nanofibers heal corneal ulcers promptly. In light of this, the study emphasizes that rosuvastatin has a significant potential for healing corneal ulcers and that fast-release nanofibers may be an ideal drug delivery platform for treating corneal diseases topically.