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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Jul 27.
Published in final edited form as: J Biomed Nanotechnol. 2008 Dec 1;4(4):410–418. doi: 10.1166/jbn.2008.004

Table II.

Design strategies for ocular cancer therapy based on administration route and material selection

Adminstration route Drug release venues Carrier Materials Advantage Disadvantage
Systemic Injection in to blood stream Degradable and hydrogel nanoparticles. Eg: N isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) nanoparticles.47 Less invasive to ocular tissue Blood ocular barrier hinders drug delivery; potential systemic drug toxicity.34
Topical via corneal diffusion Nanocapsules, nanoparticles and mucoadhesive polymers Eg: Chitosan nanoparticles.48 Easy access to iris and ciliary body.33,34 Poor drug delivery efficiency and unsuitable for posterior eye diseases.28
Sub-conjunctiva Released from conjunctiva tissue Polymeric nanoparticles.37 eg:polystyrene nanoparticles various sizes & charge Prolonged drug release with increased drug delivery to uveal tissue. Small (<20nm) nanoparticles may be cleared by lymphatic.37,38
Sub-tenon Released from void space between Tenon’s capsule and sclera No studies on subtenon injection of nanodevices. Mainly used for injection of drugs.49,50 Prolonged drug penetration and low clearance from vitreous tissue.35 Requires skilled surgeon for implantation and retinal pigment epithelium poses a barrier.35
Intravitreal Direct injection in to the vitreous PLA/PLGA nanoparticles.43,51,52 Deliver high molecular weight drugs. Accumulation in the retina for long time periods.51 May cause retinal detachment & endophthalmitis