Material, Immunological, and Practical Perspectives on Eye Drop Formulation

Abstract

Eye drops are the most common and inexpensive approach to topical ocular drug delivery. Eye drops offer a noninvasive treatment strategy; however, this can be detrimental to therapeutic efficacy when compared to invasive methods such as surgeries, implants, and injections. Improvements to the efficacy of the topical delivery of drugs to ocular tissues are currently being explored and much of this work centers on adjusting the formulation of the eye drops and prolonging the bioavailability of the therapeutic agent. This is often in preference to improving other patient‐focused or clinical factors. In this progress report, conventional, commercially available polymer eye drops are explored and the ability for current and future innovations to maintain the existing benefits of eye drops to the patient is assessed. The final materials and form of the drops (liquid, gel, or other) and the immunological implications for the user are explored. There is currently no consensus for how to most effectively improve the ocular retention and drug delivery capabilities of eye drops, but key issues are highlighted in the context of current methods under development, and potential questions and considerations for future innovations are raised.

Mirror Image Mucins and Thio Mucins with Tunable Biodegradation

“…Aberrant mucin production is associated with a variety of human pathologies from dry eyes and cystic fibrosis to cancer and infection . Mucins are needed in research models of disease and as therapeutics for lubrication, vaccines, antivirals/antimicrobials, and medical device coatings. − However, development of such models and therapies has been challenged by inherent heterogeneity in mucin structure and limited access to human samples. , An additional challenge is that mucins can be rapidly degraded, which particularly limits therapeutic applications. − Therefore, artificial mucins are an area of emerging research. , Here, we report the synthesis and evaluation of artificial mucins that are structural and chemical analogues of native mucins, bind protein targets via their glycans, and have biodegradation rates that can be finely tuned.…”

Zwitterionic silver nanoparticle based antibacterial eye drops for efficient therapy of bacterial keratitis

“…12 To address this challenge, novel nanomedicine-based antimicrobial eye drops have emerged as promising substitutes for antibiotics, attracting increasing attention due to their excellent therapeutic performance. [13][14][15] Nanomedicine, with its appropriate size, enables close contact with and anchoring to ocular surfaces, making it an ideal candidate for eye drop formulations. [16][17][18] Among these nanomedicine options, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have gained particular interest due to their nanoscale size, large specific surface area, potent antibacterial effects against various bacteria, and minimal induction of bacterial resistance.…”

High‐Density Lipoprotein Engineering for Eye‐Drop Treatment of Age‐Related Macular Degeneration

“…Many eye‐drop formulations have been developed to increase their therapeutic efficacy by prolonging their eye‐surface retention and/or enhancing their absorption. Regarding these formulations, various in situ gelling systems are available in clinical settings for prolonging their eye‐surface retention; [ 1 ] however, no “active” system has been clinically approved for enhancing their absorption to date. The additional absorption‐enhancing abilities of clinically approved additives, such as benzalkonium chloride (preservative), cyclodextrin (solubilizer), and ethylenediamine‐ N,N,N′,N′ ‐tetraacetic acid (stabilizer), as well as Lacrimera (Lacrimera is a trademark of Croma‐Pharma) have been reported in the management of dry‐eye diseases.…”