Problem
Current glaucoma treatments are limited in that they either require consistent patient compliance, such as with eye drops, or they introduce unwanted side effects, such as conjunctival hyperemia (eye redness), seen with ocular implants.
The recent discovery of double-layered microneedle patches as a painless vehicle for ocular drug delivery provides a promising pathway for the development of a sustained-release glaucoma therapy. However, current double-layered microneedle patches only allow for release over two weeks, and the current model has not been tailored for glaucoma patients.
Solution
Develop a therapeutic-loaded, triple-layered microneedle patch that provides sustained, simultaneous release of two effective glaucoma medications, bimatoprost and timolol, over a period of four weeks.
Impact
The further development of a triple-layered ocular patch for people with glaucoma would be a simple, effective treatment pathway that could greatly improve patient compliance, preserving vision for as long as possible.
How to Use
The proposed microneedle patches are self-implantable by pressing the patch onto the corneal surface and applying very slight pressure similar to that of applying a contact lens.
Objectives
Produce triple-layered patches loaded with bimatoprost/timolol ophthalmic solution in vitro
This aim will yield biodegradable, therapeutic-loaded, triple-layered microneedle patches for the treatment of glaucoma and conjunctival hyperemia for in vitro and in vivo testing.
Investigate patch drug release kinetics
This experiment will confirm that, upon implantation, the patch can reliably provide therapeutic drug release over a 4-week period.
Validate therapeutic efficacy in reducing IOP in a murine model
This aim serves to validate the therapeutic efficacy of this TL-MN patch for improving both IOP and conjunctival hyperemia.
Full Text
For a deeper dive into the rationale, experimental approach, expected results, and potential pitfalls of each specific aim, please refer to the full text below.