Novel microcrystal formulation could help treat common cause of blindness
Novel microcrystal formulation could help treat common cause of blindness lead image
Non-infectious uveitis, an inflammation of the eye, is a leading cause of blindness in the United States and Europe. However, there are no ideal long-term treatments beyond corticosteroids, which require frequent dosing and aren’t always effective.
A group of researchers hope to change that with a new treatment using microcrystals. Cai et al. reported on the use of an acid-sensitive ketal-linked dexamethasone microcrystal treatment that showed promise in treating uveitis in rats.
The treatment was tested by giving rats with autoimmune uveitis a single subconjunctival injection of the stearoxyl-ketal-dexamethasone pro-drug microcrystals (SKD MCs). The rats were studied over the course of the disease following the injection. Two other sets of rats, injected with a saline solution and a dexamethasone sodium phosphate solution without microcrystals, were used as a control. The rats were monitored for changes to their molecular biology, pathological histology, and visual electrophysiology.
The results showed the SKD MCs treatment significantly reduced the inflammation and protected retinal functions in the uveitis rats compared to the control groups. The SKD MCs helped extend the drug delivery by gradually releasing the drug over time when an inflammation reoccurred.
“Our work offers a new treatment option for patients with chronic uveitis,” said author Maoyu Cai. “This treatment could replace the long, frequent, and inefficient dosing required by other medications for uveitis.”
The researchers plan to continue studying the safety and longevity of the treatment, particularly on cases of chronic recurrent uveitis. They hope the treatment could eventually be clinically approved and replace existing steroid therapies.
Source: “Long-acting acid-sensitive ketal-linked dexamethasone microcrystals for treating experimental autoimmune uveitis,” by Maoyu Cai, Zunkai Xu, Xueyan Zhou, Liangpin Li, Xia Hua, Shutao Guo, and Xiaoyong Yuan, APL Bioengineering (2022). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0118311 .
This paper is part of the Drug/Gene Delivery and Theranostics Collection, learn more here .
