Advances in chemistry and composition of soft materials for drug releasing contact lenses

Biomedical applications of functional hydrogels: Innovative developments, relevant clinical trials and advanced products

Functional hydrogels are used for numerous biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, wound dressings, lubricants, contact lenses and advanced drug delivery systems. Most of them are based on synthetic or natural polymers forming a three-dimensional network that contains aqueous media. Among synthetic polymers, poly(meth)acrylates, polyethyleneglycols, poly(vinylalcohols), poly(vinylpyrrolidones), PLGA and poly(urethanes) are of high relevance, whereas natural polymers are mainly polysaccharides such as hyaluronic acid, alginate or chitosan and proteins such as albumin, collagen or elastin. In contrast to most synthetic polymers, natural polymers are biodegradable. Both synthetic and natural polymers are often chemically modified in order to improve or induce favorable properties and functions like high mechanical strength, stiffness, elasticity, high porosity, adhesive properties, in situ gelling properties, high water binding capacity or drug release controlling properties. Within this review we provide an overview about the broad spectrum of biomedical applications of functional hydrogels, summarize innovative approaches, discuss the concept of relevant functional hydrogels that are in clinical trials and highlight advanced products as examples for successful developments.

Elucidating acceptance and clinical indications to support the rational design of drug-eluting contact lenses

The advent of drug-eluting contact lenses (DECLs) has opened up new avenues for the treatment of eye diseases. DECLs is expected to partially overcome the shortcomings of eye drops due to single-dose packaging, accurate dosing, prolonged drug elution behavior, and simplified dosing procedures. Currently, a significant proportion of the DECLs design effort has been directed towards enhancing the compatibility of contact lenses with drugs. The appropriate elution time for the drug remains unclear. Additionally, it is ambiguous for which ophthalmic diseases DECLs offers the greatest therapeutic advantage. To rationally design DECLs in practice, it is necessary to understand the acceptance of DECLs by patients and practitioners and to clarify the indications for DECLs. This review will first focus on the acceptance of DECLs by different patients and practitioners and discuss the factors that influence its acceptance. Secondly, this review presents an overview of the current effectiveness of DECLs treatments in animals and in the clinical phase, with a particular focus on the suitability of DECLs for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Overall, patients and practitioners expressed positive attitudes towards DECLs. However, this is related to factors such as DECLs' treatment cycle, safety, and price. In addition, DECLs has good application prospects for ocular wound healing, postoperative management, and treatment of contact lenses-related complications. Furthermore, chronic diseases such as glaucoma that necessitate long-term medication and intraocular diseases that require implants or injections represent additional potential applications for DECLs. It is hoped that this review will facilitate a deeper understanding of DECLs acceptance and indications, thereby supporting the rational design of DECLs. At the same time, this review provides a reference for the design of other drug-device combination products.

Absorption and attachment of atropine to etafilcon A contact lenses

PURPOSE

Myopia (short-sightedness) is a growing vision problem worldwide. Currently atropine eye drops are used to control the progression of myopia but these suffer from potential lack of bioavailability and low ocular residence time. Commercially available myopia control contact lenses are also used to limit myopia progression, but neither atropine nor contact lenses individually completely stop progression. Development of myopia control contact lenses which could deliver therapeutic doses of atropine is thus desirable and may provide increased efficacy. This study was designed to explore the feasibility of attaching atropine to etafilcon A contact lenses through an esterification reaction.

METHODS

Carboxylic acid groups on etafilcon A contact lenses were quantified using Toluidine Blue O. The carboxylic acid groups in etafilcon A contact lenses were activated using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC-HCl) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) crosslinkers after which atropine was added to undergo potential binding via esterification. Atropine was released from lenses by alkaline hydrolysis. Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect and quantify the released atropine and its degradation products in solution. Contact lenses that had not been activated by EDC-NHS (controls) were also examined to determine the amount of atropine that could be absorbed rather than chemically bound to lenses.

RESULTS

Each etafilcon A contact lens contained 741.1 ± 5.5 µg carboxylic acid groups which may be available for esterification. HPLC had a limit of detection for atropine of 0.38 µg/mL and for tropic acid, an atropine degradation product, of 0.80 µg/mL. The limits of quantification were 1.16 µg/mL for atropine and 2.41 µg/mL for tropic acid in NH4HCO3. The etafilcon A lenses adsorbed up to 7.69 μg atropine when incubated in a 5 mg/mL atropine solution for 24 h. However, there was no evidence that atropine could be chemically linked to the lenses, as washing in a high concentration of NaCl removed all the atropine from the contact lenses with no atropine being subsequently released from the lenses after incubating in 0.01 N NH4HCO3.

CONCLUSIONS

Etafilcon A contact lenses contain free carboxylic acids which may be an appropriate option for attaching drugs such as atropine. Etafilcon A lenses adsorbed up to 7.69 μg atropine, which would be more than enough to deliver atropine to eyes to control myopia. However, atropine could not be chemically bound to the carboxylic acids of the etafilcon A lenses using this methodology.

Facile preparation and characterization of biodegradable and biocompatible UV shielding transdermal patches based on natural rubber latex- dextrin blends

The physico-chemical and biological properties of natural rubber latex (NRL), entailing its biodegradability and biocompatibility, render it a promising material for various biomedical applications. This research explores the facile blending of NRL with dextrin in different compositions to investigate its potential as a prospective UV shielding transdermal patch for biomedical applications. The superior compatibility between the polymers after blending and the improved thermal stability have been established through FTIR, DSC, and TGA examinations, respectively. Optimization of blended polymers for compatibility, wettability, crystallinity, and static mechanical properties has been performed. Morphology characterization conducted via SEM and AFM techniques suggests a uniform morphology for the optimized blend system. The UV shielding ability of the blend has been confirmed by the evaluation of in-vitro UV shielding performance, UV protection factor (UPF), and the superior protection of the optimized system on living cells upon UV irradiation. The observed cell viability, swelling, erosion, porosity, hemocompatibility, and soil degradation properties suggest the NRL-DXT combination for the possible development of high-quality transdermal patches.

Drug-eluting contact lenses: Progress, challenges, and prospects

Topical ophthalmic solutions (eye drops) are becoming increasingly popular in treating and preventing ocular diseases for their safety, noninvasiveness, and ease of handling. However, the static and dynamic barriers of eyes cause the extremely low bioavailability (<5%) of eye drops, making ocular therapy challenging. Thus, drug-eluting corneal contact lenses (DECLs) have been intensively investigated as a drug delivery device for their attractive properties, such as sustained drug release and improved bioavailability. In order to promote the clinical application of DECLs, multiple aspects, i.e., drug release and penetration, safety, and biocompatibility, of these drug delivery systems were thoroughly examined. In this review, we systematically discussed advances in DECLs, including types of preparation materials, drug-loading strategies, drug release mechanisms, strategies for penetrating ocular barriers, in vitro and in vivo drug delivery and penetration detection, safety, and biocompatibility validation methods, as well as challenges and future perspectives.

In-vitro dehydration kinetics coefficient of Kalifilcon A and other contact lens materials

In contact lens (CL) wear, dehydration needs to be tailored to avoid dryness and related symptoms. In this view, this work aims to assess and compare the in-vitro dehydration kinetics of five CL materials, including the newly developed Kalifilcon A CL. At 36 °C and 60% relative humidity, the in-vitro dehydration kinetics of the different CLs were compared using a gravimetric method. CLs were analyzed either after a rinse of a few seconds in preservative-free saline solution or after a 24-h incubation in the same solution. A model based on the Fick diffusion equation was employed to deduce a water kinetics coefficient, providing insights into water diffusion within the polymeric matrix. The study reveals that all materials exhibit a non-Fickian dehydration behavior, with significant differences in dehydration kinetics coefficients and dehydration rate slopes. Etafilcon A and Omafilcon A, both hydrogel CLs, exhibit a similar behavior, different compared to the pattern shown by Senofilcon A and Delefilcon A, silicone-hydrogel CLs. Notably, Kalifilcon A, despite being a silicone-hydrogel, displays a hydration behavior reminiscent of hydrogel CLs.

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels for medical devices, implants and tissue engineering: A review

Hydrogels are highly biocompatible biomaterials composed of crosslinked three-dimensional networks of hydrophilic polymers. Owing to their natural origin, polysaccharide-based hydrogels (PBHs) possess low toxicity, high biocompatibility and demonstrate in vivo biodegradability, making them great candidates for use in various biomedical devices, implants, and tissue engineering. In addition, many polysaccharides also show additional biological activities such as antimicrobial, anticoagulant, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory, which can provide additional therapeutic benefits. The porous nature of PBHs allows for the immobilization of antibodies, aptamers, enzymes and other molecules on their surface, or within their matrix, potentiating their use in biosensor devices. Specific polysaccharides can be used to produce transparent hydrogels, which have been used widely to fabricate ocular implants. The ability of PBHs to encapsulate drugs and other actives has been utilized for making neural implants and coatings for cardiovascular devices (stents, pacemakers and venous catheters) and urinary catheters. Their high water-absorption capacity has been exploited to make superabsorbent diapers and sanitary napkins. The barrier property and mechanical strength of PBHs has been used to develop gels and films as anti-adhesive formulations for the prevention of post-operative adhesion. Finally, by virtue of their ability to mimic various body tissues, they have been explored as scaffolds and bio-inks for tissue engineering of a wide variety of organs. These applications have been described in detail, in this review.

Impact of the physical properties of contact lens materials on the discomfort: role of the coefficient of friction

Contact Lens Discomfort (CLD) is the main cause in contact lens (CLs) discontinuation, referred in literature as drop-out phenomenon. Despite such evidence was reported in several clinical studies, a relationship between physico-chemical properties of CLs and CLD is not still totally understood. In this regard, the friction of CLs surfaces seems to be related to discomfort feeling events, probably due to an alteration of the lubricate function of the tear film after the CL placement inside the ocular environment. In the last years, many studies have been finalized to the friction measurements of CLs surface, finding conflicting data due to a lack in standardized protocol. The aim of this review is primarily to show evident relationships between CLs surface properties (i.e. wettability, tear evaporation, tear film quality, etc.) and the coefficient of friction (CoF), resulting therefore the most relevant physical quantity in the CLs characterization. In addition, we reported the most recent studies in CLs tribology, which highlight that the introduction of a standard protocol in CoF measurements is necessary to obtain reproducible results, considering the aim to evaluate in a more precise way the relationship between this material surface property and comfort in CLs users.

Advances in Therapeutic Contact Lenses for the Management of Different Ocular Conditions

In the advent of an increasingly aging population and due to the popularity of electronic devices, ocular conditions have become more prevalent. In the world of medicine, accomplishing eye medication administration has always been a difficult task. Despite the fact that there are many commercial eye drops, most of them have important limitations, due to quick clearance mechanisms and ocular barrers. One solution with tremendous potential is the contact lens used as a medication delivery vehicle to bypass this constraint. Therapeutic contact lenses for ocular medication delivery have attracted a lot of attention because they have the potential to improve ocular bioavailability and patient compliance, both with minimal side effects. However, it is essential not to compromise essential features such as water content, optical transparency, and modulus to attain positive in vitro and in vivo outcomes with respect to a sustained drug delivery profile from impregnated contact lenses. Aside from difficulties like drug stability and burst release, the changing of lens physico-chemical features caused by therapeutic or non-therapeutic components can limit the commercialization potential of pharmaceutical-loaded lenses. Research has progressed towards bioinspired techniques and smart materials, to improve the efficacy of drug-eluting contact lenses. The bioinspired method uses polymeric materials, and a specialized molecule-recognition technique called molecular imprinting or a stimuli-responsive system to improve biocompatibility and support the drug delivery efficacy of drug-eluting contact lenses. This review encompasses strategies of material design, lens manufacturing and drug impregnation under the current auspices of ophthalmic therapies and projects an outlook onto future opportunities in the field of eye condition management by means of an active principle-eluting contact lens.

Recent advancements in nanomaterial-laden contact lenses for diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma, review and update

Despite the existence of numerous eye drops in the market, most of them are not sufficiently effective because of quick clearance and the barriers within the eye. To increase the delivery of the drugs to the eye, various new formulations have been explored in recent decades. These formulations aim to enhance drug retention and penetration, while enabling sustained drug release over extended periods. One such innovative approach is the utilization of contact lenses, which were originally designed for cosmetic purposes and vision correction. Contact lenses have appeared as a promising formulation for ocular drug delivery, as they can increase the bioavailability of drugs in the eye and diminish unwanted side effects. They are specifically appropriate for treating chronic eye conditions, making them an area of interest for researchers in the field of ophthalmology. This review outlines the promising potential of nanomaterial-laden contact lenses for diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma. It classifies therapeutic approaches based on nanomaterial type, summarizes diagnostic advances, discusses improvement of contact lenses properties, covers marketing perspectives, and acknowledges the challenges of these innovative contact lenses for glaucoma management.

Porous Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Hydrogel Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering: Influence of Crosslinking Systems and Silk Sericin Concentration on Scaffold Properties

Tailored porous structures of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and silk sericin (SS) were used to create porous hydrogel scaffolds using two distinct crosslinking systems. These structures were designed to closely mimic the porous nature of the native extracellular matrix. Conventional free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was performed in the presence of different concentrations of SS (1.25, 2.50, 5.00% w/v) with two crosslinking systems. A chemical crosslinking system with N'N-methylene bisacrylamide (MBAAm) and a physical crosslinking system with dimethylurea (DMU) were used: C-PHEMA/SS (crosslinked using MBAAm) and C-PHEMA/pC-SS (crosslinked using MBAAm and DMU). The focus of this study was on investigating the impact of these crosslinking methods on various properties of the scaffolds, including pore size, pore characteristics, polymerization time, morphology, molecular interaction, in vitro degradation, thermal properties, and in vitro cytotoxicity. The various crosslinked networks were found to appreciably influence the properties of the scaffolds, especially the pore sizes, in which smaller sizes and higher numbers of pores with high regularity were seen in C-PHEMA/1.25 pC-SS (17 ± 2 μm) than in C-PHEMA/1.25 SS (34 ± 3 μm). Semi-interpenetrating networks were created by crosslinking PHEMA-MBAAm-PHEMA while incorporating free protein molecules of SS within the networks. The additional crosslinking step involving DMU occurred through hydrogen bonding of the -C=O and -N-H groups with the SS, resulting in the simultaneous incorporation of DMU and SS within the PHEMA networks. As a consequence of this process, the scaffold C-PHEMA/pC-SS exhibited smaller pore sizes compared to scaffolds without DMU crosslinking. Moreover, the incorporation of higher loadings of SS led to even smaller pore sizes. Additionally, the gelation time of C-PHEMA/pC-SS was delayed due to the presence of DMU in the crosslinking system. Both porous hydrogel scaffolds, C-PHEMA/pC-SS and PHEMA, were found to be non-cytotoxic to the normal human skin dermal fibroblast cell line (NHDF cells). This promising result indicates that these hydrogel scaffolds have potential for use in tissue engineering applications.

Progress in Pluronic F127 Derivatives for Application in Wound Healing and Repair

Pluronic F127 hydrogel biomaterial has garnered considerable attention in wound healing and repair due to its remarkable properties including temperature sensitivity, injectability, biodegradability, and maintain a moist wound environment. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth exploration of the recent advancements in Pluronic F127-derived hydrogels, such as F127-CHO, F127-NH2, and F127-DA, focusing on their applications in the treatment of various types of wounds, ranging from burns and acute wounds to infected wounds, diabetic wounds, cutaneous tumor wounds, and uterine scars. Furthermore, the review meticulously examines the intricate interaction mechanisms employed by these hydrogels within the wound microenvironment. By elucidating the underlying mechanisms, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Pluronic F127, analyzing the current state of wound healing development, and expanding on the trend of targeting mitochondria and cells with F127 as a nanomaterial. The review enhances our understanding of the therapeutic effects of these hydrogels aims to foster the development of effective and safe wound-healing modalities. The valuable insights provided this review have the potential to inspire novel ideas for clinical treatment and facilitate the advancement of innovative wound management approaches.

Nutrient Supplementation Improves Contact Lens-Induced Corneal Cell Damage Based on a SIRC Cellular Model

OBJECTIVES

The long-term use of contact lenses may damage the structure of the ocular surface and cause metabolic disorders in corneal cells. Vitamins and amino acids help maintain the physiological function of the eye. In the present study, the effects of nutrient (vitamin and amino acid) supplementation on corneal cell repair after contact lens-induced damage was investigated.

METHODS

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify the nutrient contents of minimum essential medium, and the MTT assay was used to measure the viability of corneal cells. A Statens Seruminstitut rabbit cornea cellular model was established to simulate contact lens-induced keratopathy and investigate the effects of vitamin and amino acid supplementations on corneal cell repair.

RESULTS

The high water content lens group (78%) has a cell viability as high as 83.3%, whereas the cell viability of the low water content lens group (38%) is only 51.6%. The 32.0% difference between the two groups confirms the correlation between water content of lens and corneal viability.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin B2, vitamin B12, asparagine, and taurine supplementation may help improve contact lens-induced damage.

Current Innovations in Intraocular Pressure Monitoring Biosensors for Diagnosis and Treatment of Glaucoma-Novel Strategies and Future Perspectives

Biosensors are devices that quantify biologically significant information required for diverse applications, such as disease diagnosis, food safety, drug discovery and detection of environmental pollutants. Recent advancements in microfluidics, nanotechnology and electronics have led to the development of novel implantable and wearable biosensors for the expedient monitoring of diseases such as diabetes, glaucoma and cancer. Glaucoma is an ocular disease which ranks as the second leading cause for loss of vision. It is characterized by the increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in human eyes, which results in irreversible blindness. Currently, the reduction of IOP is the only treatment used to manage glaucoma. However, the success rate of medicines used to treat glaucoma is quite minimal due to their curbed bioavailability and reduced therapeutic efficacy. The drugs must pass through various barriers to reach the intraocular space, which in turn serves as a major challenge in glaucoma treatment. Rapid progress has been observed in nano-drug delivery systems for the early diagnosis and prompt therapy of ocular diseases. This review gives a deep insight into the current advancements in the field of nanotechnology for detecting and treating glaucoma, as well as for the continuous monitoring of IOP. Various nanotechnology-based achievements, such as nanoparticle/nanofiber-based contact lenses and biosensors that can efficiently monitor IOP for the efficient detection of glaucoma, are also discussed.

The Ionization of Polymeric Materials Accelerates Protein Deposition on Hydrogel Contact Lens Material

Contact lens materials include polymers that are ionized in the ocular pH condition and are susceptible to protein deposition due to their surface characteristics. Herein, we investigated the effect of the electrostatic state of the contact lens material and protein on protein deposition level using hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model proteins and etafilcon A and hilafilcon B as model contact lens materials. Only HEWL deposition on etafilcon A showed a statistically significant pH-dependency (p < 0.05); protein deposition increased with pH. HEWL showed a positive zeta potential at acidic pH, while BSA showed a negative zeta potential at basic pH. Only etafilcon A showed a statistically significant pH-dependent point of zero charge (PZC) (p < 0.05), implying that its surface charge became more negative under basic conditions. This pH-dependency of etafilcon A is attributed to the pH-responsive degree of ionization of its constituent methacrylic acid (MAA). The presence of MAA and its degree of ionization could accelerate protein deposition; more HEWL deposited as pH increased despite the weak positive surface charge of HEWL. The highly negatively charged etafilcon A surface attracted HEWL, even overwhelming weak positive charge of HEWL, increasing the deposition with pH.

Smart Contact Lens Systems for Ocular Drug Delivery and Therapy

Ocular drug delivery and therapy systems have been extensively investigated with various methods including direct injections, eye drops and contact lenses. Nowadays, smart contact lens systems are attracting a lot of attention for ocular drug delivery and therapy due to their minimally invasive or non-invasive characteristics, highly enhanced drug permeation, high bioavailability, and on-demand drug delivery. Furthermore, smart contact lens systems can be used for direct light delivery into the eyes for biophotonic therapy replacing the use of drugs. Here, we review smart contact lens systems which can be classified into two groups of drug-eluting contact lens and ocular device contact lens. More specifically, this review covers smart contact lens systems with nanocomposite-laden systems, polymeric film-incorporated systems, micro and nanostructure systems, iontophoretic systems, electrochemical systems, and phototherapy systems for ocular drug delivery and therapy. After that, we discuss the future opportunities, challenges and perspectives of smart contact lens systems for ocular drug delivery and therapy.

Ophthalmic Hydrogel Contact Lens Material Containing Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles and 3-(Trifluoromethyl)styrene for Biomedical Application

This research was conducted for the synthesis and application of ophthalmic lens materials with improved oxygen permeability and durability. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP), 3-(trifluoromethyl)styrene (3-TFMSt), and magnesium oxide nanoparticles were used as additives for the basic combination of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Additionally, the materials were copolymerized with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the cross-linking agent and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator. The addition of magnesium oxide nanoparticles was found to increase the tensile strength from 0.0631 to 0.0842 kgf/mm². Copolymerization with a small amount of 3-TFMSt of about 1% increased the tensile strength to 0.1506 kgf/mm² and the oxygen permeability from 6.00 to 9.64 (cm²/s)∙(mLO₂/mL·mmHg)∙10^-11. The contact lens material produced using N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and magnesium oxide nanoparticles as additives satisfied the basic physical properties required for hydrogel contact lenses and is expected to be used usefully as a material for fabricating high-performance hydrogel lenses.

Well-Defined pH-Responsive Self-Assembled Block Copolymers for the Effective Codelivery of Doxorubicin and Antisense Oligonucleotide to Breast Cancer Cells

The worldwide steady increase in the number of cancer patients motivates the development of innovative drug delivery systems for combination therapy as an effective clinical modality for cancer treatment. Here, we explored a design concept based on poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-formylbenzoic acid) [PEG-b-PDMAEMA-b-P(HEMA-FBA)] for the dual delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) and GTI2040 (an antisense oligonucleotide for ribonucleotide reductase inhibition) to MCF-7 breast cancer cells. PEG-b-PDMAEMA-b-PHEMA, the precursor copolymer, was prepared through chain extensions from a PEG-based macroinitiator via two consecutive atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) steps. Then, it was modified at the PHEMA block with 4-formylbenzoic acid (FBA) to install reactive aldehyde moieties. A pH-responsive polymer-drug conjugate (PDC) was obtained by conjugating DOX to the polymer structure via acid-labile imine linkages, and subsequently self-assembled in an aqueous solution to form DOX-loaded self-assembled nanoparticles (DOX-SAN) with a positively charged shell. DOX-SAN condensed readily with negatively charged GTI2040 to form GTI2040/DOX-SAN nanocomplexes. Gel-retardation assay confirmed the affinity between GTI2040 and DOX-SAN. The GTI2040/DOX-SAN nanocomplex at N/P ratio of 30 exhibited a volume-average hydrodynamic size of 136.4 nm and a zeta potential of 21.0 mV. The pH-sensitivity of DOX-SAN was confirmed by the DOX release study based on the significant cumulative DOX release at pH 5.5 relative to pH 7.4. Cellular uptake study demonstrated favorable accumulation of GTI2040/DOX-SAN inside MCF-7 cells compared with free GTI2040/DOX. In vitro cytotoxicity study indicated higher therapeutic efficacy of GTI2040/DOX-SAN relative to DOX-SAN alone because of the downregulation of the R2 protein of ribonucleotide reductase. These outcomes suggest that the self-assembled pH-responsive triblock copolymer is a promising platform for combination therapy, which may be more effective in combating cancer than individual therapies.

Light-responsive biomaterials for ocular drug delivery

Light-responsive biomaterials can be used for the delivery of therapeutic drugs and nucleic acids, where the tunable/precise delivery of payload highlights the potential of such biomaterials for treating a variety of conditions. The translucency of eyes and advances of laser technology in ophthalmology make light-responsive delivery of drugs feasible. Importantly, light can be applied in a non-invasive fashion; therefore, light-triggered drug delivery systems have great potential for clinical impact. This review will examine various types of light-responsive polymers and the chemistry that underpins their application as ophthalmic drug delivery systems.

Lab-on-a-Contact Lens: Recent Advances and Future Opportunities in Diagnostics and Therapeutics

The eye is one of the most complex organs in the human body, containing rich and critical physiological information (e.g., intraocular pressure, corneal temperature, and pH) as well as a library of metabolite biomarkers (e.g., glucose, proteins, and specific ions). Smart contact lenses (SCLs) can serve as a wearable intelligent ocular prosthetic device capable of noninvasive and continuous monitoring of various essential physical/biochemical parameters and drug loading/delivery for the treatment of ocular diseases. Advances in SCL technologies and the growing public interest in personalized health are accelerating SCL research more than ever before. Here, the current status and potential of SCL development through a comprehensive review from fabrication to applications to commercialization are discussed. First, the material, fabrication, and platform designs of the SCLs for the diagnostic and therapeutic applications are discussed. Then, the latest advances in diagnostic and therapeutic SCLs for clinical translation are reviewed. Later, the established techniques for wearable power transfer and wireless data transmission applied to current SCL devices are summarized. An outlook, future opportunities, and challenges for developing next-generation SCL devices are also provided. With the rise in interest of SCL development, this comprehensive and essential review can serve as a new paradigm for the SCL devices.

A Co-Polymerizable Linker for the Covalent Attachment of Fibronectin Makes pHEMA Hydrogels Cell-Adhesive

Hydrogels are attractive biomaterials because their chemical and mechanical properties can be tailored to mimic those of biological tissues. However, many hydrogels do not allow cell or protein attachment. Therefore, they are post-synthetically functionalized by adding functional groups for protein binding, which then allows cell adhesion in cell culture substrates. However, the degree of functionalization and covalent binding is difficult to analyze in these cases. Moreover, the density of the functional groups and the homogeneity of their distribution is hard to control. This work introduces another strategy for the biofunctionalization of hydrogels: we synthesized a polymerizable linker that serves as a direct junction between the polymeric structure and cell adhesion proteins. This maleimide-containing, polymerizable bio-linker was copolymerized with non-functionalized monomers to produce a bioactive hydrogel based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA). Therefore, the attachment site was only controlled by the polymerization process and was thus uniformly distributed throughout the hydrogel. In this way, the bio-conjugation by a protein-binding thiol-maleimide Michael-type reaction was possible in the entire hydrogel matrix. This approach enabled a straightforward and highly effective biofunctionalization of pHEMA with the adhesion protein fibronectin. The bioactivity of the materials was demonstrated by the successful adhesion of fibroblast cells.

Supramolecular Hydrogels: Design Strategies and Contemporary Biomedical Applications

Self-assembly of supramolecular hydrogels is driven by dynamic, non-covalent interactions between molecules. Considerable research effort has been exerted to fabricate and optimise supramolecular hydrogels that display shear-thinning, self-healing, and reversibility, in order to develop materials for biomedical applications. This review provides a detailed overview of the chemistry behind the dynamic physicochemical interactions that sustain hydrogel formation (hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, ionic interactions, metal-ligand coordination, and host-guest interactions). Novel design strategies and methodologies to create supramolecular hydrogels are highlighted, which offer promise for a wide range of applications, specifically drug delivery, wound healing, tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting. To conclude, future prospects are briefly discussed, and consideration given to the steps required to ultimately bring these biomaterials into clinical settings.

Soft Contact Lenses as Drug Delivery Systems: A Review

This review describes the role of contact lenses as an innovative drug delivery system in treating eye diseases. Current ophthalmic drug delivery systems are inadequate, particularly eye drops, which allow about 95% of the active substance to be lost through tear drainage. According to the literature, many interdisciplinary studies have been carried out on the ability of contact lenses to increase the penetration of topical therapeutic agents. Contact lenses limit drug loss by releasing the medicine into two layers of tears on either side of the contact lens, eventually extending the time of contact with the ocular surface. Thanks to weighted soft contact lenses, a continuous release of the drug over an extended period is possible. This article reviewed the various techniques to deliver medications through contact lenses, examining their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the potential of drug delivery systems based on contact lenses has been extensively studied.

Montmorillonite stabilized chitosan-co-mucin hydrogel for tissue engineering applications

The role of polymers has played a crucial role in developing templates that can promote regeneration as tissue-engineered matrices. The present study aims to develop functional matrices involving the protein mucin. The mucin used in this study is characterised using MALDI-TOF TOF and CD spectroscopy prior to conjugation. Thereupon, a hybrid scaffold comprising of a polysaccharide, chitosan, chemically conjugated to a protein, mucin, and encapsulated with montmorillonite is developed. Grafting of hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) is done to overcome the issue of mechanical weakness that mucin hydrogels usually undergo. It was observed that the presence of montmorillonite led to the stability of the hydrogels. The conjugations with varied ratios of the polysaccharide and protein were characterized using spectroscopic techniques. The prepared gels showed appreciable material properties in terms of water uptake and porosity. Hydrogels with different ratios of the polysaccharide and protein were evaluated for their biocompatibility. The biological evaluation of the hydrogels was performed with MC3T3E1 and C2C12 cell lines indicating their potential for wider tissue engineering applications.

Photoinitiated Polymerization of Hydrogels by Graphene Quantum Dots

As a smart stimulus-responsive material, hydrogel has been investigated extensively in many research fields. However, its mechanical brittleness and low strength have mattered, and conventional photoinitiators used during the polymerization steps exhibit high toxicity, which limits the use of hydrogels in the field of biomedical applications. Here, we address the dual functions of graphene quantum dots (GQDs), one to trigger the synthesis of hydrogel as photoinitiators and the other to improve the mechanical strength of the as-synthesized hydrogel. GQDs embedded in the network effectively generated radicals when exposed to sunlight, leading to the initiation of polymerization, and also played a significant role in improving the mechanical strength of the crosslinked chains. Thus, we expect that the resulting hydrogel incorporated with GQDs would enable a wide range of applications that require biocompatibility as well as higher mechanical strength, including novel hydrogel contact lenses and bioscaffolds for tissue engineering.

pHEMA: An Overview for Biomedical Applications

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) as a biomaterial with excellent biocompatibility and cytocompatibility elicits a minimal immunological response from host tissue making it desirable for different biomedical applications. This article seeks to provide an in-depth overview of the properties and biomedical applications of pHEMA for bone tissue regeneration, wound healing, cancer therapy (stimuli and non-stimuli responsive systems), and ophthalmic applications (contact lenses and ocular drug delivery). As this polymer has been widely applied in ophthalmic applications, a specific consideration has been devoted to this field. Pure pHEMA does not possess antimicrobial properties and the site where the biomedical device is employed may be susceptible to microbial infections. Therefore, antimicrobial strategies such as the use of silver nanoparticles, antibiotics, and antimicrobial agents can be utilized to protect against infections. Therefore, the antimicrobial strategies besides the drug delivery applications of pHEMA were covered. With continuous research and advancement in science and technology, the outlook of pHEMA is promising as it will most certainly be utilized in more biomedical applications in the near future. The aim of this review was to bring together state-of-the-art research on pHEMA and their applications.

Hydrogels-based ophthalmic drug delivery systems for treatment of ocular diseases

An increasing number of people worldwide are affected by eye diseases, eventually leading to visual impairment or complete blindness. Conventional treatment involves the use of eye drops. However, these formulations often confer low ocular bioavailability and frequent dosing is required. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop more effective drug delivery systems to tackle the current limitations. Hydrogels are multifunctional ophthalmic drug delivery systems capable of extending drug residence time and sustaining release of drugs. In this review, common ocular diseases and corresponding therapeutic drugs are briefly introduced. In addition, various types of hydrogels reported for ophthalmic drug delivery, including in-situ gelling hydrogels, contact lenses, low molecular weight supramolecular hydrogels, cyclodextrin/poly (ethylene glycol)-based supramolecular hydrogels and hydrogel-forming microneedles, are summarized. Besides, marketed hydrogel-based opthalmic formulations and clinical trials are also highlighted. Finally, critical considerations regarding clinical translation of biologics-loaded hydrogels are discussed.