Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Ocular Toxicity of
Nanoparticles
Aditya Grover, Anjali Hirani, Yong Woo Lee,
Vijaykumar B. Sutariya, and Yashwant Pathak
*
CONTENTS
16.1 Use of Nanoparticles in Ocular Therapy .............................................................................. 347
16.1.1 Nanoceria .................................................................................................................. 348
16.1.2 CK30PEG ................................................................................................................. 349
16.1.3 Magnetic Nanoparticles ............................................................................................ 349
16.1.4 Chitosan .................................................................................................................... 350
16.1.5 Polylactic-Co-Glycolic Acid ..................................................................................... 350
16.1.6 Other Nanoparticles .................................................................................................. 351
16.1.6.1 Poly(Alkyl-Cyanoacrylate) ........................................................................ 351
16.1.6.2 Poly-ε-Caprolactone Nanoparticles and Nanocapsules ............................. 351
16.1.6.3 Nanomicelles.............................................................................................. 351
16.1.6.4 Poly[(Cholesteryl Oxocarbonylamido Ethyl) Methyl Bis(Ethylene)
Ammonium Iodide] .................................................................................... 351
16.1.6.5 Acrylate Polymers (Eudragit
®
) .................................................................. 351
16.1.6.6 Solid Lipid Nanoparticles .......................................................................... 351
References ...................................................................................................................................... 352
16.1 USE OF NANOPARTICLES IN OCULAR THERAPY
The application of biodegradable nanoparticles in ocular therapies is of utmost importance to the field
of ocular medicine. The enhancement of the current methods of therapy could mean a drastic change in
the quality of life of people suffering from a number of degenerative posterior eye disorders. Currently,
the most common form of ocular therapy involves topical treatment in the form of eyedrops due to its
ease of use, minimal risk of infection, and patient compliability [1]. This method is limited in its effect,
as natural processes in the eye flush the drug out of the tissue within the first minute of application;
lacrimation is one such example [1,2]. The structural barriers in the ocular tissue combined with the
difficulty in drug delivery make the posterior eye chamber a potentially neglected site of therapy [1].
To directly target the posterior eye chamber, a common method of therapy is intravitreal injec-
tion (IVT) to deliver drugs to the retina [1,2]. This method is not without any adverse side effects;
the common ones include tissue damage and infections [1]. Nonbiodegradable forms of treatment
are also used, by which a nanosized device is surgically implanted at the site of therapy [3]. The
drawbacks of such a method are the relative large-sized incision required to implant a device; the
repeated implantations of a new device, once the previous device has exhausted its drug supply; and
neglecting removal of the device may cause it to be encapsulated by the fibrous tissue [3]. The pos-
sible complications with this type of therapy include retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, and
dissolution of the device, among others [3].
*
Aditya Grover and Anjali Hirani are equal contributors to the work.
347
