Thin-film nanofibers for treatment of age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

AMD is the leading cause of blindness and is found in elderly patients. Lutein is a carotenoid and has antioxidant properties hence acting as a neuroprotective in the macular region. However, for the treatment of AMD, prolonged therapy is required from several months to years. This study was intended to design and characterize the long-acting thin-film nanofibers of lutein for the treatment of AMD. The thin-film was fabricated by electrospinning followed by the sintering technique. The fabricated lutein-loaded thin-film was characterized for entrapment efficiency, in-vitro drug release, in-vivo injection feasibility, antioxidant property and morphological studies. LP-nanofibers shown sustained release of encapsulated lutein 81.75% in 2 months. This indicate that fabricated LP-nanofibers sustain the drug for long period in the posterior segment of the eye and it will be an effective therapy for the treatment of AMD.

Keywords

• AMD
• Long-acting injectable
• Electrospinning
• Nanofibers
• Polycaprolactone
• Thin-film device