Amphotericin B Ocular Films for Fungal Keratitis and a Novel 3D-Printed Microfluidic Ocular Lens Infection Model

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Mycology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fungal keratitis (FK) is a severe eye infection causing vision loss, particularly in contact lens users.
• Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen, with amphotericin B (AmB) as the gold-standard treatment.
• Current AmB eye drops have limited stability and corneal retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sustained-release AmB ocular film for enhanced FK treatment.
• To create and utilize a 3D-printed microfluidic device for in vitro ocular drug testing.
• To evaluate the efficacy of the AmB film against Candida albicans under physiological flow conditions.

Main Methods:

• A 3D-printed, four-chamber microfluidic device was designed to simulate ocular conditions.
• Contact lenses inoculated with Candida albicans were exposed to AmB-loaded films under fluid flow for 24 hours.
• Drug release kinetics and antifungal activity (CFU/mL reduction) were quantified.

Main Results:

• AmB films formulated with sodium alginate and hyaluronic acid demonstrated sustained release over 24 hours.
• The AmB films achieved a 1.23-fold and 5.7-fold reduction in Candida albicans CFU/mL, depending on film concentration.
• The microfluidic model effectively evaluated ocular drug release and antifungal efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Sustained delivery of dimeric AmB via ocular films offers a promising approach for fungal keratitis treatment.
• The developed 3D-printed microfluidic system provides a valuable tool for testing ophthalmic antimicrobial therapies.
• This research paves the way for improved ocular drug delivery systems for infectious eye diseases.