Therapies Based on Nanoparticles for Eye Drug Delivery

Abstract

Eye drug delivery, particularly to the retina, is a technical hurdle that needs to be solved and represents an ongoing current important medical field. Posterior segment eye diseases are a major cause of visual impairment worldwide. Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are the major causes of blindness. To achieve efficient drug delivery and drug retention time in the posterior segment of the eye, novel delivery systems based on nanoparticles have been developed in the last few years. Nowadays, liposomes represent the most utilized nanoparticles for eye drug delivery and, recently, a broad spectrum of diverse nanoparticles continue to emerge with special characteristics representing ideal candidates for eye drug delivery.

Safety and Tolerability of Topical Ophthalmic Triamcinolone Acetonide-Loaded Liposomes Formulation and Evaluation of Its Biologic Activity in Patients with Diabetic Macular Edema

“…Therefore, to diminish the ocular risks associated with intravitreal injections, different topical approaches have been developed to deliver TA into the vitreous cavity [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Among these, topical liposomes (LPs) are one of the most promising strategies [ 19 ]. In fact, LPs constitute the only topical system to deliver TA into the vitreous area with clinical evidence of its effectiveness [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

“…The vesicle composition of LPs share almost an indistinguishable outer structure with the cell membrane, conferring its ability to transport either hydrophilic or lipophilic drugs. LPs represent a potential alternative for ocular drug delivery based on their various advantages—increased residence time for drug absorption, protection of the encapsulated drug from the external environment, prolonged half-lives in vitreous bodies with low toxicity, increased efficacy and therapeutic drug index, and the potential to improve penetration to ocular tissues [ 19 ].…”

Contact Lenses as Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems: A Review

“…Among the various nanometric systems, liposomes already stand out as promising for ocular drug delivery, due to their biocompatibility and ability to increase drug penetration into ocular tissues [ 83 , 84 , 85 ]. Liposomes are spherical amphipathic vesicles, characterized by a double layer of phospholipids with an internal aqueous cavity.…”

“…The purpose of proposing drug-loaded SLNs is to overcome the drawbacks associated with other colloidal carriers, such as liposomes. Indeed, compared to liposomes, SLNs have numerous advantages, including an easy and economical preparation without the use of organic solvents [ 84 , 86 , 87 ]. SLNs consist of solid fats (in the range 0.1–30% by weight) dispersed in an aqueous phase.…”

“…Another emerging ocular vehicle are micelles [ 17 , 54 , 82 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 ], which consist of core/shell structures formed by self-assembly. They are generated by the dispersion of amphiphilic molecules; that is, both hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds in one solution [ 84 , 92 ]. Polymer micelles have high stability and are capable of encapsulating hydrophobic compounds in the core, promoting controlled or targeted release.…”