Innovative Strategies for Drug Delivery to the Ocular Posterior Segment

Abstract

Innovative and new drug delivery systems (DDSs) have recently been developed to vehicle treatments and drugs to the ocular posterior segment and the retina. New formulations and technological developments, such as nanotechnology, novel matrices, and non-traditional treatment strategies, open new perspectives in this field. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight promising strategies reported in the current literature based on innovative routes to overcome the anatomical and physiological barriers of the vitreoretinal structures. The paper also describes the challenges in finding appropriate and pertinent treatments that provide safety and efficacy and the problems related to patient compliance, acceptability, effectiveness, and sustained drug delivery. The clinical application of these experimental approaches can help pave the way for standardizing the use of DDSs in developing enhanced treatment strategies and personalized therapeutic options for ocular pathologies.

Overview of processed excipients in ocular drug delivery: Opportunities so far and bottlenecks

“… Frequent injections are required. Age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy [ [17] , [18] , [19] ] Trans corneal permeation Non-invasive and easy administration. Limited drug permeation across the cornea.…”

“…Similarly, the neurovascular retinal barrier controls the vitreous humor chemicals' removal while allowing access to a crucial metabolic substrate. Because of these obstacles, researchers have been forced to consider and create other methods of treating diseases that affect the latter part of the eye [ 1 , 19 , 73 , 74 ].…”

The Potential of Selenium-Based Therapies for Ocular Oxidative Stress

“…The strategy of prolonging the duration of drug availability on the surface of the eye in order to augment its effectiveness when applied topically has been widely used in various drug delivery methods, leading to the development of a wide range of products [115,116]. The investigation of nanomaterials for use in the eye involves amphiphilic compounds, including liposomes and micelles, as well as polymers like dendrimers and both organic and inorganic nanoparticles [115]. Their high surface-to-volume ratio makes them well suited for delivering therapeutic and targeted molecules [115].…”

“…The investigation of nanomaterials for use in the eye involves amphiphilic compounds, including liposomes and micelles, as well as polymers like dendrimers and both organic and inorganic nanoparticles [115]. Their high surface-to-volume ratio makes them well suited for delivering therapeutic and targeted molecules [115]. Therefore, using nanoparticles (less than 200 nm) as a platform can potentially help Se to pass through the ocular surface barriers and persist for longer, as well as increase the corneal residence time [115,117].…”

“…Their high surface-to-volume ratio makes them well suited for delivering therapeutic and targeted molecules [115]. Therefore, using nanoparticles (less than 200 nm) as a platform can potentially help Se to pass through the ocular surface barriers and persist for longer, as well as increase the corneal residence time [115,117].…”