UCLA researchers in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering have developed an antibiotic drug eluting patch to treat eye diseases, including ocular infection and inflammation. It offers sustained drug delivery to enhance biocompatibility and antimicrobial effectiveness, and provides a localized, noninvasive, and patient-compliant method of treatment.
BACKGROUND: Eye injuries caused by chronic conditions or acute physical damage often lead to a high risk of infections when the protective outer layer of the eye (e.g., the corneal or scleral epithelium) is compromised, allowing microorganisms to infiltrate the eye. Many eye-related inflammations stem from bacterial infections and typically require treatment with antibiotics. Conventional drug administration routes, such as topical instillation, have limited bioavailability in the eye due to factors like reflex blinking and tear-film turnover. Other methods, such as intravitreal injections, deliver drugs directly to the affected eye area but are highly invasive and thus may not be patient compliant and can cause severe side effects. Additionally, oral administration is noninvasive but systematic and requires high dosages that can lead to toxicity and other adverse effects. Therefore, there is a critical need for a localized, noninvasive, and efficient ocular drug delivery method with high patient compliance.
INNOVATION: Researchers at UCLA have developed gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)-based nanoparticles (NPs) capable of encapsulating hydrophilic drugs such as antibiotics. The GelMA-based NPs demonstrate optimal hydrodynamic size, homogeneity, and high loading efficiency in vitro. When incorporated into a hydrogel patch, moxifloxacin (MXF) loaded GelMA NPs showed a desirable release profile with sustained therapeutic effects over five days. This antibiotic drug eluting patch, featuring straightforward formulation and application, excellent biocompatibility, and potent antimicrobial properties, holds great promise for safe, effective, and patient-friendly treatment of bacterial infections at targeted sites in the eye.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
- Ocular drug delivery
- Treatment of ocular diseases, such as ocular infection and inflammation
ADVANTAGES:
- Easy formulation and application
- Sustained drug release enhances antibiotics biocompatibility and ensures effective antimicrobial function
- The drug delivery method is localized, noninvasive, and patient compliant
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE: The effectiveness of the technology has been evaluated and confirmed through in vitro testing.
Related papers (from the inventors only):
1. A. Yung, Y. Liu, S. Gholizadeh, A. Naderi, F. Kahale, N. Annabi, R. Dana. “Development of a Moxifloxacin Eluting Hydrogel Patch for Sealing Ocular Lacerations” Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2022;63(7):4149 – F0141.
2. Ann Yung, Xi Chen, Shima Gholizadeh, Mahsa Ghovvati, Ziqing Wang, Marcus Jellen, Azadeh Mostafavi, Reza Dana, Nasim Annabi. “Development of an Anti-inflammatory Drug Eluting Ocular Adhesive” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. (2023)
3. Shima Gholizadeh, Xi Chen, Ann Yung, Amirreza Naderi, Mahsa Ghovvati, Yangcheng Liu, Ashkan Farzad, Azadeh Mostafavi, Reza Dana, Nasim Annabi. “Development and optimization of an ocular hydrogel adhesive patch using definitive screening design (DSD)” Biomaterials Science. (2023)
4. Xi Chen, Shima Gholizadeh, Mahsa Ghovvati, Ziqing Wang, Marcus J Jellen, Azadeh Mostafavi, Reza Dana, Nasim Annabi. “Engineering a drug eluting ocular patch for delivery and sustained release of anti‐inflammatory therapeutics” AIChE Journal. (2023)
KEYWORDS: Ocular inflammation, eye injuries, drug delivery, antibiotics, gelatin methacryloyl, nanoparticle, eluting patch, hydrogel patch, noninvasive, biocompatibility, GelMA, NP