Challenges and strategies for the delivery of biologics to the cornea

• Published in: Journal of controlled release Vol. 333; pp. 560 - 578
• Main Authors: Wels, M., Roels, D., Raemdonck, K., De Smedt, S.C., Sauvage, F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 10-05-2021
• Subjects: Cornea; Corneal diseases; Delivery barriers; Gene gun; Microneedles; Nanomedicine; Transfection; Viral vectors; Cornea; Delivery barriers; Transfection; Microneedles; Gene gun; Viral vectors; Corneal diseases; Nanomedicine
• ISSN: 0168-3659; 1873-4995
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.04.008

Biologics, like peptides, proteins and nucleic acids, have proven to be promising drugs for the treatment of numerous diseases. However, besides the off label use of the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab for the treatment of corneal neovascularization, to date no other biologics for corneal diseases have reached the market. Indeed, delivering biologics in the eye remains a challenge, especially at the level of the cornea. While it appears to be a rather accessible tissue for the administration of drugs, the cornea in fact presents several anatomical barriers to delivery. In addition, also intracellular delivery barriers need to be overcome to achieve a promising therapeutic outcome with biologics. This review outlines efforts that have been reported to successfully deliver biologics into the cornea. Biochemical and physical methods for achieving delivery of biologics in the cornea are discussed, with a critical view on their efficacy in overcoming corneal barriers.
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