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Amphotericin B containing microneedle ocular patch for effective treatment of fungal keratitis

Girdhari Roy1, Rohini Devi Galigama1, Veda Suresh Thorat1

  • 1Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana State, India.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|November 4, 2019
PubMed

Insights

This study developed a novel microneedle ocular patch (MOP) for delivering amphotericin B (AmB) to treat fungal keratitis. The AmB-loaded MOP demonstrated enhanced corneal drug delivery and effectively reduced Candida albicans load in preclinical models.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Pharmaceutics
  • Biomaterials Science

Background:

  • Topical antibiotic delivery to the cornea is limited by poor water solubility and low therapeutic concentrations.
  • Fungal keratitis requires effective drug delivery systems for improved treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To fabricate and characterize amphotericin B (AmB) microneedle ocular patches (MOPs).
  • To evaluate the in-vivo efficacy of AmB-loaded MOPs against fungal keratitis.

Main Methods:

  • Micromolding technique used to create dissolvable polymeric MOPs (polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone) loaded with AmB.
  • Assessment of physical, mechanical, drug loading, dissolution, corneal insertion, and permeability properties.
  • In-vivo and ex-vivo models using rabbits and excised human corneas to evaluate efficacy against Candida albicans.

Main Results:

  • AmB-loaded MOPs exhibited suitable mechanical strength for corneal insertion.
  • Ex-vivo studies showed enhanced corneal retention and permeation of AmB with MOPs compared to free or liposomal AmB.
  • Significant reduction in Candida albicans corneal load and improved corneal tissue differentiation observed in AmB MOP treated models.

Conclusions:

  • AmB-loaded MOPs represent a promising, minimally invasive drug delivery system for fungal keratitis.
  • The MOP technology enhances corneal drug concentration and therapeutic effectiveness.
  • Further development of AmB-containing MOPs could offer a superior treatment option for fungal eye infections.
Keywords:
Amphotericin BCandida albicansCorneal permeationFungal keratitisLiposomal nanocarriersMicroneedle ocular patch

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