Biomaterials for dry eye disease treatment: Current overview and future perspectives

Dry eye disease (DED) is an emerging health problem affecting millions of individuals every year. The current treatments for DED include lubricating eye drops and anti-inflammatory agents. These agents have to be used frequently and contain preservatives, which can damage the ocular surface. A substantially long-acting treatment with better bioavailability on the ocular surface might reduce the frequency of drug use and its side effects. This review summarizes the current state of different biomaterials-nanosystems, hydrogels, and contact lenses used as drug delivery systems in DED. The explored drugs in biomaterial formulation are cyclosporin, ocular lubricants, and topical steroids. Most of the data is from animal models where increased drug delivery and desired therapeutic effects could be obtained; however, trials involving human participants are yet to happen. There is no published study comparing the different types of biomaterials for DED use. Long-term studies evaluating their ocular toxicity and biocompatibility would enhance their transition to human use. Overall they look promising for DED treatment, but they are still in the stage of technological advancement and clinical studies.