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Review
. 2024 Sep 17:11:1421959.
doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1421959. eCollection 2024.

Lipid-based nanoparticles: innovations in ocular drug delivery

Mirza Salman Baig  1 , Shweta Kulkarni Karade  2 , Anas Ahmad  3 , Mohd Ashif Khan  4 , Anzarul Haque  5 , Thomas J Webster  6   7   8   9 , Md Faiyazuddin  10   11 , Noora H Al-Qahtani  5   12
Affiliations
Review

Lipid-based nanoparticles: innovations in ocular drug delivery

Mirza Salman Baig et al. Front Mol Biosci. .

Abstract

Ocular drug delivery presents significant challenges due to intricate anatomy and the various barriers (corneal, tear, conjunctival, blood-aqueous, blood-retinal, and degradative enzymes) within the eye. Lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as promising carriers for ocular drug delivery due to their ability to enhance drug solubility, improve bioavailability, and provide sustained release. LNPs, particularly solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), and cationic nanostructured lipid carriers (CNLCs), have emerged as promising solutions for enhancing ocular drug delivery. This review provides a comprehensive summary of lipid nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, emphasizing their biocompatibility and efficiency in ocular applications. We evaluated research and review articles sourced from databases such as Google Scholar, TandFonline, SpringerLink, and ScienceDirect, focusing on studies published between 2013 and 2023. The review discusses the materials and methodologies employed in the preparation of SLNs, NLCs, and CNLCs, focusing on their application as proficient carriers for ocular drug delivery. CNLCs, in particular, demonstrate superior effectiveness attributed due to their electrostatic bioadhesion to ocular tissues, enhancing drug delivery. However, continued research efforts are essential to further optimize CNLC formulations and validate their clinical utility, ensuring advancements in ocular drug delivery technology for improved patient outcomes.

Keywords: cationic nanostructured lipid carriers; lipid nanoparticles; nanomedicine; nanostructured lipid carriers; ocular drug delivery; ophthalmic drug delivery; solid lipid nanoparticles.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

None
Image courtesy of brgfx, Freepik (https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/human-eye-with-disease_22744188.htm#query=eye diagram&position=13&from_view=search&track=ais&uuid=bb73bb73-11ad-40ef-a565-d6929fd24bda).
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Visually represents (A) the anatomy of the human eye [image courtesy of Freepik (Macrovector, 2020)], and (B) the layers of tear film essential for ocular health and function.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Illustrates the structural differences between SLN and NLC whereas drug expulsion can occur from SLN because of its perfect crystal whereas NLC have better drug loading capacity due to its irregular crystal structure.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Confocal scanning laser microscopy image showing the uptake of the rhodamine-loaded CNLC formulation (red) into a 2D conjunctival tissue model where the cell nuclei were stained with Hoechst dye (blue). [Adapted from our published work (Baig and Siddiqui, 2020)].
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Various methods of preparation of Lipid Nanoparticles (LNPs), including (A) high-pressure homogenization, (B) high shear homogenization, (C) ultrasonication, (D) membrane contractor method, (E) solvent emulsification and evaporation, (F) supercritical fluid technology, (G) adapted phase inversion temperature (PIT) method [figure adopted from (Graván et al., 2023)] (These methods enable the production of LNPs with tailored characteristics for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications).
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Illustrates the method of preparation for CNLC, highlighting key steps including lipid melting, emulsification, solidification, and characterization with improved drug loading capacity and stability for pharmaceutical applications [figure adopted from (Baig and Siddiqui, 2020)].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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