Recent trends in nanocarrier based approach in the management of dry eye disease
Dry eye disease (DED) represents a major public health issue worldwide. Conventional ophthalmic preparations usually have a short pre-corneal residence time, require frequent and prolonged administration of drugs, lead to poor medication adherence. Nanocarriers because of their unique structural and functional attributes, display higher rheological synergism, and precorneal residence time results in greater tear film stability and better outcomes than those of conventional formulations.
Nanocarriers of different shapes and sizes can be prepared with a wide range of polymers to meet the needs of specific applications. Recent nanotechnological advances allow to design smart and functionalized nanoscale systems like bio-responsive, thermo-responsive hydrogels with improved capability to interact with the corneal surface, results in higher precorneal retention and mechanical properties, eventually leads to improving ocular comfort and compliance.
In this review, we discuss the potential of different hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymeric nanocarriers for treating dry eyes. Although, several reports suggest nanocarriers have some potential for improving the quality of life of dry eye patients, however further studies on the noncarriers design, long-term toxicity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic and stability are essential to improve the effectiveness of nanocarriers in DED.
Article information: Dipak Kumar Sahu, Deepak Pradhan, Prativa Biswasroy, Biswakanth Kar, Goutam Ghosh, Goutam Rath, Recent trends in nanocarrier based approach in the management of dry eye disease, Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2021.102868.