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Temporal Distribution Patterns of Alexa Fluor 647-Conjugated CeNPs in the Mouse Retina After a Single Intravitreal
Lily L Wong1,2, Swetha Barkam3, Sudipta Seal4
1Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK, USA. Lily-Wong@omrf.org.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|December 30, 2019
Summary
Intravitreal injections of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) effectively deliver antioxidants to the retina, delaying degeneration. These nanoparticles are taken up by retinal cells, not vasculature, showing potential as ophthalmic drug carriers.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Intravitreal injection is a common method for delivering drugs to the posterior eye.
- Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) are catalytic antioxidants with potential therapeutic applications.
- Previous studies showed CeNPs delay retinal degeneration and persist in the retina for over a year.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cellular uptake and distribution of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) in the retina after intravitreal injection.
- To determine which retinal cell types preferentially internalize CeNPs.
- To assess the targeting efficiency of CeNPs compared to free fluorochromes.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized fluorescently labeled cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs).
- Administered a single intravitreal injection of labeled CeNPs to rodent models of retinal degeneration.
- Analyzed retinal sections at various time points post-injection using fluorescence microscopy.
- Compared the distribution of CeNPs with free fluorochromes.
Main Results:
- Fluorescent signals from CeNPs were detected in all retinal layers, including neurons, glia, and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), up to 90 days post-injection.
- Free fluorochrome accumulated in retinal vasculature, not retinal cells.
- CeNP-conjugation facilitated the targeting of the fluorochrome to retinal cells, not vasculature.
Conclusions:
- Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) are effectively taken up by various retinal cell types after intravitreal injection.
- CeNPs demonstrate efficient targeting to retinal cells, avoiding accumulation in the vasculature.
- CeNPs show promise as a drug delivery vehicle for ophthalmic therapeutics to the posterior segment of the eye.
