Hyaluronan-modified nanoceria for dry eye disease treatment

Dry eye disease (DED), a prevalent ocular disorder, affects nearly half the global population, bringing enormous health and economic burden. Currently, the predominant treatments for DED involve the administration of artificial tears, which is often hindered by continuous administration and constant reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulus. Therefore, hyaluronan (HA)-modified cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles, HA-CeO₂, were developed to achieve simultaneous ROS scavenging and enhanced tear film stability. HA-CeO₂ was demonstrated to effectively scavenge ROS while concurrently downregulating the expression of inflammatory factors, such as MMP9 and IL-1β. Moreover, the anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of HA-CeO₂ were further confirmed through a DED mouse model. In addition, the biocompatibility and safety of HA-CeO₂ make it a promising treatment option for DED associated with inflammation and oxidative stress, offering novel insights into utilizing nanozymes in treating inflammation-oxidative stress-related diseases.