On the Biomaterials for Nanostructured Ocular Therapeutics

Due to its unique anatomy, drug delivery to eye structures has always been problematic. Many efforts have been addressed to enhance ocular bioavailability by lowering non-specific interactions between drug and tissue, increasing drug stability or increasing the residence time in the case of topical drugs. In this context, nanotechnology has been a very helpful tool for developing suitable drug delivery systems. More specifically, different kinds of strategies in this field have been proposed to overcome the problems related to ocular administration. However, the success of a nanoparticulated system relies on the correct choice of the material which it is made of. Based on these statements, the present article offers a review of the most important biomaterials employed in nanostructured systems for ocular drug delivery, especially those designated to delivery to the ocular surface and their impact on the final activity of such systems.