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Review
. 2023 Mar 9;15(6):1373.
doi: 10.3390/polym15061373.

Breaking Barriers in Eye Treatment: Polymeric Nano-Based Drug-Delivery System for Anterior Segment Diseases and Glaucoma

Kevin Y Wu  1 , Said Ashkar  2 , Shrieda Jain  3 , Michael Marchand  1 , Simon D Tran  4
Affiliations
Review

Breaking Barriers in Eye Treatment: Polymeric Nano-Based Drug-Delivery System for Anterior Segment Diseases and Glaucoma

Kevin Y Wu et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

The eye has anatomical structures that function as robust static and dynamic barriers, limiting the penetration, residence time, and bioavailability of medications administered topically. The development of polymeric nano-based drug-delivery systems (DDS) could be the solution to these challenges: it can pass through ocular barriers, offering higher bioavailability of administered drugs to targeted tissues that are otherwise inaccessible; it can stay in ocular tissues for longer periods of time, requiring fewer drug administrations; and it can be made up of polymers that are biodegradable and nano-sized, minimizing the undesirable effects of the administered molecules. Therefore, therapeutic innovations in polymeric nano-based DDS have been widely explored for ophthalmic drug-delivery applications. In this review, we will give a comprehensive overview of polymeric nano-based drug-delivery systems (DDS) used in the treatment of ocular diseases. We will then examine the current therapeutic challenges of various ocular diseases and analyze how different types of biopolymers can potentially enhance our therapeutic options. A literature review of the preclinical and clinical studies published between 2017 and 2022 was conducted. Thanks to the advances in polymer science, the ocular DDS has rapidly evolved, showing great promise to help clinicians better manage patients.

Keywords: anterior segment diseases; biodegradable polymers; glaucoma; ocular diseases; ocular drug-delivery; polymeric biomaterials; polymeric nanocarriers.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Ideal characteristics of nanocarriers.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A comparative overview of characteristics and advantages of various drug-delivery systems for ocular drug delivery.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Anatomical and physiological factors affecting ocular drug delivery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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This research received no external funding.

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