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Rusciano D, Russo C. The Therapeutic Trip of Melatonin Eye Drops: From the Ocular Surface to the Retina. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:441. [PMID: 38675402 PMCID: PMC11054783 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is a ubiquitous molecule found in living organisms, ranging from bacteria to plants and mammals. It possesses various properties, partly due to its robust antioxidant nature and partly owed to its specific interaction with melatonin receptors present in almost all tissues. Melatonin regulates different physiological functions and contributes to the homeostasis of the entire organism. In the human eye, a small amount of melatonin is also present, produced by cells in the anterior segment and the posterior pole, including the retina. In the eye, melatonin may provide antioxidant protection along with regulating physiological functions of ocular tissues, including intraocular pressure (IOP). Therefore, it is conceivable that the exogenous topical administration of sufficiently high amounts of melatonin to the eye could be beneficial in several instances: for the treatment of eye pathologies like glaucoma, due to the IOP-lowering and neuroprotection effects of melatonin; for the prevention of other dysfunctions, such as dry eye and refractive defects (cataract and myopia) mainly due to its antioxidant properties; for diabetic retinopathy due to its metabolic influence and neuroprotective effects; for macular degeneration due to the antioxidant and neuroprotective properties; and for uveitis, mostly owing to anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. This paper reviews the scientific evidence supporting the use of melatonin in different ocular districts. Moreover, it provides data suggesting that the topical administration of melatonin as eye drops is a real possibility, utilizing nanotechnological formulations that could improve its solubility and permeation through the eye. This way, its distribution and concentration in different ocular tissues may support its pleiotropic therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Rusciano
- Fidia Research Centre, c/o University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 89, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Cristina Russo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 89, 95123 Catania, Italy;
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Seo H, Chung WG, Kwon YW, Kim S, Hong YM, Park W, Kim E, Lee J, Lee S, Kim M, Lim K, Jeong I, Song H, Park JU. Smart Contact Lenses as Wearable Ophthalmic Devices for Disease Monitoring and Health Management. Chem Rev 2023; 123:11488-11558. [PMID: 37748126 PMCID: PMC10571045 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The eye contains a complex network of physiological information and biomarkers for monitoring disease and managing health, and ocular devices can be used to effectively perform point-of-care diagnosis and disease management. This comprehensive review describes the target biomarkers and various diseases, including ophthalmic diseases, metabolic diseases, and neurological diseases, based on the physiological and anatomical background of the eye. This review also includes the recent technologies utilized in eye-wearable medical devices and the latest trends in wearable ophthalmic devices, specifically smart contact lenses for the purpose of disease management. After introducing other ocular devices such as the retinal prosthesis, we further discuss the current challenges and potential possibilities of smart contact lenses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hunkyu Seo
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Won Gi Chung
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Yong Won Kwon
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Sumin Kim
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Yeon-Mi Hong
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Wonjung Park
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Enji Kim
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Jakyoung Lee
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Sanghoon Lee
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Moohyun Kim
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Kyeonghee Lim
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Inhea Jeong
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Hayoung Song
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
| | - Jang-Ung Park
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Yonsei
University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
- Department
of Neurosurgery, Yonsei University College
of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Center
for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic
of Korea
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Toffoletto N, Saramago B, Serro AP, Chauhan A. A Physiology-Based Mathematical Model to Understand Drug Delivery from Contact Lenses to the Back of the Eye. Pharm Res 2023; 40:1939-1951. [PMID: 37498499 PMCID: PMC10447275 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-023-03560-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Therapeutic contact lenses, able to store drug and deliver it to the eye surface in a sustained fashion, gained interest as an effective and patient-friendly alternative to eye drops. Recent animal studies also demonstrated the presence of therapeutic drug levels in the back of the eye after wearing drug-loaded contact lenses, thus opening the possibility of treating the posterior segment without need of invasive intraocular injections. The drug pathways from contact lenses to the back of the eye require further investigation. METHODS A mechanistic mathematical model was developed to evaluate the drug concentration over time in the tears, sclera and choroid, retina, aqueous humor and vitreous humor after the application of a therapeutic contact lens. The main drug transport mechanisms of the eye and the barrier properties of the different tissues were included in the model. Validation was performed by comparison with experimental data in literature. RESULTS The model predictions of drug concentration over time reflected the experimental data both in the anterior and posterior segment of the eye. The model can differentiate between contributions to transport from different pathways. CONCLUSIONS The model constitutes a first step towards the possibility of predicting the ocular drug distribution and the treatment efficacy in the early stage of contact lens development, and it may help reduce both the need for in vivo tests (with ethical and economic advantages) and the gap between the lens design and clinical application. It also allows for an improved understanding of drug transport in the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Toffoletto
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Quinta da Granja, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511, Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Benilde Saramago
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Paula Serro
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Institute of Molecular Sciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Quinta da Granja, Monte de Caparica, 2829-511, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Anuj Chauhan
- Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
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Huang C, Shen Y, Zhao Y, Zhang Z, Gao S, Hong J, Xu J, Meng Q, Sun X, Sun J. Sustained release of brimonidine from polydimethylsiloxane-coating silicone rubber implant to reduce intraocular pressure in glaucoma. Regen Biomater 2023; 10:rbad041. [PMID: 37303848 PMCID: PMC10247868 DOI: 10.1093/rb/rbad041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting 111 million people by 2040 worldwide. Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only controllable risk factor for the disease and current treatment options seek to reduce IOP via daily taking eye drops. However, shortcomings of eye drops, such as poor bioavailability and unsatisfied therapeutic effects, may lead to inadequate patient compliance. In this study, an effective brimonidine (BRI)-loaded silicone rubber (SR) implant coated with polydimethylsiloxane (BRI@SR@PDMS) is designed and fully investigated for IOP reduction treatment. The in vitro BRI release from BRI@SR@PDMS implant reveals a more sustainable trend lasting over 1 month, with a gradually declined immediate drug concentration. The carrier materials show no cytotoxicity on human corneal epithelial cells and mice corneal epithelial cells in vitro. After administrated into rabbit's conjunctival sac, the BRI@SR@PDMS implant releases BRI in a sustained fashion and effectively reduces IOP for 18 days with great biosafety. In contrast, BRI eye drops only maintain IOP-lowering effect for 6 h. Therefore, as a substitute of eye drops, the BRI@SR@PDMS implant can be applied as a promising non-invasive platform to achieve long-term IOP-lowering in patients suffering from ocular hypertension or glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhutian Zhang
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shunxiang Gao
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jiaxu Hong
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jianjiang Xu
- Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Visual Impairment and Restoration, Shanghai 200031, China
| | | | | | - Jianguo Sun
- Correspondence address. (J.S.); (X.S.); (Q.M.)
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Navarro-Gil FJ, Huete-Toral F, Domínguez-Godínez CO, Carracedo G, Crooke A. Contact Lenses Loaded with Melatonin Analogs: A Promising Therapeutic Tool against Dry Eye Disease. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11123483. [PMID: 35743553 PMCID: PMC9225312 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11123483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Melatonin analogs topically administered evoke a potent tear secretagogue effect in rabbits. This route of drug administration requires high drug concentration and frequent dosing due to its reduced ocular surface retention. Therefore, contact lenses (CLs) have emerged as an alternative drug-delivery system that prolongs drug retention in the cornea, improving its therapeutic performance. This study explores the in vitro ability of five commercially available hydrogel CLs to act as a delivery system for melatonin analogs and the in vivo secretagogue effect of melatonin analog-loaded CLs. We soaked CLs with melatonin or melatonin analog solutions (1 mM) for 12 h. Spectroscopic assays showed that IIK7-loaded CLs led to the inadequate delivery of this compound. Conventional hydrogel lenses loaded with agomelatine released more agomelatine than silicone ones (16–33% more). In contrast, the CLs of silicone materials are more effective as a delivery system of 5-MCA-NAT than CLs of conventional materials (24–29%). The adaptation of CLs loaded with agomelatine or 5-MCA-NAT in rabbits triggered a higher tear secretion than the corresponding eye drops (78% and 59% more, respectively). These data suggest that CLs preloaded with melatonin analogs could be an adequate strategy to combat aqueous tear deficient dry eye disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Navarro-Gil
- Department of Optometry and Vision, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain; (C.O.D.-G.); (G.C.)
- Correspondence: (F.J.N.-G.); (A.C.); Tel.: +34-91-3946883 (F.J.N.-G); +34-91-3946859 (A.C.)
| | - Fernando Huete-Toral
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Carmen Olalla Domínguez-Godínez
- Department of Optometry and Vision, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain; (C.O.D.-G.); (G.C.)
| | - Gonzalo Carracedo
- Department of Optometry and Vision, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain; (C.O.D.-G.); (G.C.)
| | - Almudena Crooke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, 28037 Madrid, Spain;
- Correspondence: (F.J.N.-G.); (A.C.); Tel.: +34-91-3946883 (F.J.N.-G); +34-91-3946859 (A.C.)
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