9 hours ago
For years, treating scratches and burns to the eyes has usually involved dropping medicine onto the eyes several times a day, sometimes for weeksa treatment that lends itself to missed doses and other side effects. But scientists are now reporting in the journal ACS Nano a novel, drug-releasing wafer that patients can put directly on their affected eyes just once a day. The team says the device works better than drops and could help patients recover faster.
Ghanashyam Acharya, Stephen C. Pflugfelder and colleagues point out that eye injuries are a major cause of blindness worldwide. In the U.S., about 2.5 million people suffer such an injury every year. But typical eye drop therapies are not very efficient. Blinking and tears clear the medicine quickly from the eyes, so patients have to apply drops several times a day. But this frequency boosts the risks for side effects, including inflammation and blurred vision, and makes it likely that patients will miss doses. Researchers have tried many approaches to address these problems, but none so far have worked well.
In a new approach, Acharya's team developed a clear, round filmwhich for humans would be about one-tenth the size of a typical contact lensembedded with tiny pockets that can hold and release medicine slowly over time. The film then dissolves completely. In mice, the wafer was twice as effective as eye drops and didn't cause inflammation that can lead to side effects. The team concludes that the wafer could be used to treat eye injuries and other conditions such as chronic dry eye and glaucoma.
Explore further: Drug-infused nanoparticle is right for sore eyes
More information: Ocular Drug Delivery Nanowafer with Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy, ACS Nano, Article ASAP, DOI: 10.1021/nn506599f
Abstract Presently, eye injuries are treated by topical eye drop therapy. Because of the ocular surface barriers, topical eye drops must be applied several times in a day, causing side effects such as glaucoma, cataract, and poor patient compliance. This article presents the development of a nanowafer drug delivery system in which the polymer and the drug work synergistically to elicit an enhanced therapeutic efficacy with negligible adverse immune responses. The nanowafer is a small transparent circular disc that contains arrays of drug-loaded nanoreservoirs. The slow drug release from the nanowafer increases the drug residence time on the ocular surface and its subsequent absorption into the surrounding ocular tissue. At the end of the stipulated period of drug release, the nanowafer will dissolve and fade away. The in vivo efficacy of the axitinib-loaded nanowafer was demonstrated in treating corneal neovascularization (CNV) in a murine ocular burn model. The laser scanning confocal imaging and RT-PCR study revealed that once a day administered axitinib nanowafer was therapeutically twice as effective, compared to axitinib delivered twice a day by topical eye drop therapy. The axitinib nanowafer is nontoxic and did not affect the wound healing and epithelial recovery of the ocular burn induced corneas. These results confirmed that drug release from the axitinib nanowafer is more effective in inhibiting CNV compared to the topical eye drop treatment even at a lower dosing frequency.
For the millions of sufferers of dry eye syndrome, their only recourse to easing the painful condition is to use drug-laced eye drops three times a day. Now, researchers from the University of Waterloo have ...
Honey's antibacterial benefits are widely recognised but now a QUT team of optometry researchers is conducting clinical trials of the therapeutic effect of the sweet nectar as a remedy for dry, red and sore eyes, which are ...
Changes in the lipid layer of the eyes' natural tear film may contribute to the common problem of contact lens discomfort, reports a study in the December issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the Am ...
Read the original here:
An end to the medicine dropper for eye injuries?
- Is there an alternative to radiation - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Taiwan exploring how nanotech affects health - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A new way of treating cancer on the way? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lasers can destroy cancer cells - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Fluorescent molecules can be biomarkers - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Quick blood tests by using a nanodevice - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Where will medicine be 20 years from now - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- History of nanotechnology - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Nanotech and Cancer - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Nanotechnology in medicine - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- How does cancer start - January 25th, 2010 [January 25th, 2010]
- Lung cancer symptoms - January 26th, 2010 [January 26th, 2010]
- Signs of breast cancer - January 27th, 2010 [January 27th, 2010]
- Famous people with cancer - January 29th, 2010 [January 29th, 2010]
- Metastatic renal cancer - January 30th, 2010 [January 30th, 2010]
- What causes skin cancer - January 31st, 2010 [January 31st, 2010]
- How many people die from cancer each year - February 1st, 2010 [February 1st, 2010]
- How much money is spent on cancer research - February 2nd, 2010 [February 2nd, 2010]
- Colon cancer warning signs - February 4th, 2010 [February 4th, 2010]
- Prostate cancer symptoms - February 4th, 2010 [February 4th, 2010]
- Nano-devices that cross blood-brain barrier open door to treatment of cerebral palsy - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Nano-devices that cross blood-brain barrier open door to treatment of cerebral palsy, other neurologic disorders - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Nanomaterial properties in complement activation: lessons from nanomedicine - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- OMICS Group :: International Conference and Exhibition on Nanotechnology - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Use of Nanotechnology in Medicine [FOX 11-27-2011] - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Cancer Nanomedicine - Detection - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Cancer Nanomedicine - Video - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- HBIO Reports First Quarter 2012 Revenue Growth of 8% Over First Quarter 2011 - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Nano science, focus of Education Ministry - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Drug-resistant Bacteria - Designing Nanoparticles For High Antibiotic Doses - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Research and Markets: Global Market for Nano Silver - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Cracking study makes nanotech breakthrough - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Nanoparticles may pose environmental threat - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Global Nanobiotechnology Industry - May 17th, 2012 [May 17th, 2012]
- 'Inability to give back Singur land my biggest regret' - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- 'KOREA PACK 2012' for Packing process industry to be held at KINTEX - May 23rd, 2012 [May 23rd, 2012]
- New ISO Technical Report Guides Characterization of Nanomaterials in Toxicology - May 29th, 2012 [May 29th, 2012]
- DNA strands create tiniest Smileys - May 30th, 2012 [May 30th, 2012]
- Health and fitness agenda: Evolution Asia Yoga Conference - June 2nd, 2012 [June 2nd, 2012]
- UC Davis work in humanities receives $150,000 in UC-wide grants - June 2nd, 2012 [June 2nd, 2012]
- Computer-designed proteins 'may help fight variety of flu viruses' - June 3rd, 2012 [June 3rd, 2012]
- 'Nano technology' [program can pay off big for IRSC students - June 3rd, 2012 [June 3rd, 2012]
- Computer-designed proteins programmed to disarm variety of flu viruses - June 3rd, 2012 [June 3rd, 2012]
- Jugaad innovators don't plan - they improvise - June 6th, 2012 [June 6th, 2012]
- Health and fitness agenda: World Blood Donor Day - June 9th, 2012 [June 9th, 2012]
- OMICS Group :: Journal of Nanomedicine - June 9th, 2012 [June 9th, 2012]
- Researchers develop a 'time bomb' to fight cardiovascular disease - June 10th, 2012 [June 10th, 2012]
- Nanotechnologists develop a 'time bomb' to fight cardiovascular disease - June 10th, 2012 [June 10th, 2012]
- 'Time bomb' to fight cardiovascular disease developed - June 11th, 2012 [June 11th, 2012]
- Asia's First Graphene Nano-Tech Facility Opens In Singapore - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- How worms are pioneering remote control medicine - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Golden Helix Establishes Direct Presence in Japan - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- STDs Blocked by Nano Gel, Study Suggests - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Real Products, Different Results - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- The Puridone Program - A Breakthrough for Painkiller Addiction - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Six startup medical device firms compete in Memphis for fame and fortune - June 19th, 2012 [June 19th, 2012]
- International Nanomedicine Conference bound for Sydney: July 2-4, 2012 - June 19th, 2012 [June 19th, 2012]
- Taming light with graphene - June 21st, 2012 [June 21st, 2012]
- Today on New Scientist: 25 June 2012 - June 26th, 2012 [June 26th, 2012]
- A step towards the future - July 1st, 2012 [July 1st, 2012]
- Genia Technologies Collaborates with Professors Jingyue Ju at Columbia and George Church at Harvard to Develop a ... - October 4th, 2012 [October 4th, 2012]
- Scientists Invited To Submit Proposals For Biological Research In Space - October 4th, 2012 [October 4th, 2012]
- Research and Markets: Micro-Nano Technology XIII from the 13th Annual Conference of Chinese Society of Micro-Nano ... - October 6th, 2012 [October 6th, 2012]
- $80M research facility to open at UMass Lowell - October 6th, 2012 [October 6th, 2012]
- Nano-revolution in drugs delivery - October 8th, 2012 [October 8th, 2012]
- SENAI/SESI of Sao Paulo Selects NanoProfessor as Foundation for "Nanomundo" Nanotechnology Education Initiative - October 8th, 2012 [October 8th, 2012]
- Delivering an integral approach to emotional and mental health - October 9th, 2012 [October 9th, 2012]
- NanoGuardian's On-Dose NanoEncryption Brand Protection Technology to Be Presented at AAPS Annual Meeting - October 11th, 2012 [October 11th, 2012]
- Il Nano Mondo del professor Ennio Tasciotti - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- Deakin University - Practical Science - Nano medicine - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- 2012 Deakin University 3 Minute Thesis Finalist - Jarrad Altimari - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- Nano Medicine from "Development of Nanotechnology in Hong Kong" - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- NANO Medicine 1 3 xvid - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- Nanolääke // Nano medicine - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- NANO Medicine (1-3) - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- Jefferson County, Colorado's Bioscience Industry - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- NanoMission - Nanomedicine NanoBot - Video - October 30th, 2012 [October 30th, 2012]
- Study aims to unlock mysteries of autism - November 20th, 2012 [November 20th, 2012]
- Catherine Griwkowsky - November 22nd, 2012 [November 22nd, 2012]
- Kulkarni to be feted at Bangalore Nano 2012 - November 26th, 2012 [November 26th, 2012]