In situ gelling hydrogels based on biodegradable polymers for effective ocular drug delivery: A review

Document Type : Review

Authors

1 Tabriz University

2 Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

3 Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Tabriz

Abstract

In the field of ophthalmology, despite the existence of various drugs for the treatment of ocular diseases, an appropriate drug delivery strategy has not been achieved yet due to the special physiology and anatomy of this organ. New ocular drug delivery systems (DDSs) have been designed to achieve long-term therapeutic levels. Hydrogels have been widely used in drug delivery systems due to their unique properties. In situ gelling hydrogels are one of the important materials used for ocular DDSs. The use of in situ hydrogels through site injection reduces the risk of complications associated with invasive surgical procedures, making it a safer option for ocular drug delivery. Also, in-situ gelling hydrogels have the ability to undergo phase transition in ocular tissues and change from liquid to viscoelastic gel state, and thus can prolong the shelf life of drugs and improve their bioavailability in ocular tissue. Polymers are the main raw materials for the preparation of in situ gelling hydrogels. Natural polymers have been widely studied and investigated in ocular DDS due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. Polymers are the main raw materials for preparing in situ gelling hydrogels. Common natural polymers for hydrogel preparation include chitosan, starch, alginate, fibrin, collagen, gelatin, hyaluronic acid and dextran. This paper aims to review and discuss the recent development of in situ gelling hydrogels based on natural polymers as advanced ocular DDSs. This review also summarizes various in situ gelling ocular hydrogels responsive to different stimuli such as temperature, pH, and ion. Also to achieve a deeper understanding of in situ gelling hydrogels’ potential as new ocular treatment option, their biocompatibility and biodegradability will be discussed in ocular DDSs. Considering the special advantages of nanotechnology in DDSs, the combination of ophthalmic hydrogels with nanotechnology as well as available commercial hydrogels will be briefly discussed.

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