Hydrogels, as crosslinked polymeric three dimensional networks, possess unique structure and behavior in response to the internal and/or external stimuli. As a result, they offer great prospective applications in drug delivery, cell therapy and human tissue engineering. Here, we highlight the potential of hydrogels in prolonged intraocular drug delivery and ocular surface therapy using stem cel...

Punctal plugs (PPs) are miniature medical implants that were initially developed for the treatment of dry eyes. Since their introduction in 1975, many PPs made from different materials and designs have been developed. PPs, albeit generally successful, suffer from drawbacks such as epiphora and suppurative canaliculitis. To overcome these issues intelligent designs of PPs were proposed (e.g. Sma...

5 Various strategies for ocular drug delivery are considered; from basic formulation techniques for 6 improving availability of drugs; viscosity enhancers and mucoadhesives aid drug retention and 7 penetration enhancers promote drug transport into the eye. The use of drug loaded contact lenses 8 and ocular inserts allows drugs to be better placed where they are needed for more direct 9 delivery...

Polymers are tools used in novel drug delivery system to modify the drug release of pharmaceutical dosage form. Polyox is hydrophilic polymer made of non-ionic homopolymer of ethylene oxide. Polyox is popular for its film forming, binding, lubricating, mucoadhesive, viscosity imparting property in pharmaceuticals. Polyox are available in various grades based on its molecular weight. Lower molec...

Treating various ailments of eye utilizes mostly two strategies i.e. delivery of the therapeutic agent by development of a novel delivery system or by enhancing the permeation of therapeutically active agent by the use of penetration enhancers or by the alteration of its physicochemical properties. Conventional ophthalmic drugs delivery system including eye drops, ointments and gels, are no lon...

Controlling gene expression via small interfering RNA (siRNA) has opened the doors to a plethora of therapeutic possibilities, with many currently in the pipelines of drug development for various ocular diseases. Despite the potential of siRNA technologies, barriers to intracellular delivery significantly limit their clinical efficacy. However, recent progress in the field of drug delivery stro...