Nanoporous Films for Ocular Drug Delivery

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目寻求通过创建一个持续眼内注射基于抗体的治疗药物以抑制血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)的平台来治疗老年性黄斑变性(AMD)。这个跨学科的团队将设计和制造纳米多孔薄膜设备的原型；建立药物加载技术和药物释放特性；并在体外和动物眼睛模型中完成临床前的生物兼容性和功能测试。与其他缓释技术不同的是，所提出的薄膜器件在功能上是可调的，可以实现零级药物释放动力学，获得平坦的药物释放曲线和几个月的紧密浓度范围。通过将药物隔离在设备内的底层储存层中，可以保护药物不受外部微环境的影响。这种装载和保护药物的能力是基于生物的疗法的关键，这些疗法通常会迅速降解并从眼睛中清除。该计划中提出的设备设计将缓解眼科药物输送中固有的许多挑战，并提供一种创新的眼科治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project seeks to treat age related macular degeneration (AMD) by creating a platform for the sustained intra-ocular delivery of antibody-based therapeutic agents to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This interdisciplinary team will design and manufacture prototype nanoporous thin-film devices; establish drug loading techniques and drug release properties; and complete pre-clinical biocompatibility and functional testing in vitro and in animal eye models. Unlike other sustained release technologies, the proposed thin-film devices are functionally tunable to achieve zero-order drug release kinetics, attaining a flat drug release profile and a tight concentration range over several months. By sequestering drug in an underlying reservoir layer within the device, the drug can be protected from the external microenvironment. This ability to load and protect the drug is key for biologically-based therapies which often undergo rapid degradation and clearance from the eye. The device design proposed in this program will mitigate many challenges inherent in ocular drug delivery and provide an innovative approach to the delivery of ocular therapeutics.