Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers
Topical ophthalmic drug delivery targeting the posterior segment of the eye has become a key area of interest due to its non-invasive nature, safety, ease of application, patient compliance, and cost-effectiveness. However, achievement of effective drug bioavailability in the posterior ocular segmen...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/447 |
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| author | Gonçalo Santos Esmeralda Delgado Beatriz Silva Berta São Braz Lídia Gonçalves |
| author_facet | Gonçalo Santos Esmeralda Delgado Beatriz Silva Berta São Braz Lídia Gonçalves |
| author_sort | Gonçalo Santos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Topical ophthalmic drug delivery targeting the posterior segment of the eye has become a key area of interest due to its non-invasive nature, safety, ease of application, patient compliance, and cost-effectiveness. However, achievement of effective drug bioavailability in the posterior ocular segment is a significant challenge due to unique ocular barriers, including precorneal factors and anatomical barriers, like the cornea, the conjunctiva, and the sclera. Successful ocular drug delivery systems require increased precorneal residence time and improved corneal penetration to enhance intraocular bioavailability. A promising strategy to overcome these barriers is incorporating drug penetration enhancers (DPEs) into formulations. These compounds facilitate drug delivery by improving permeability across otherwise impermeable or poorly permeable membranes. At the ocular level, they act through three primary mechanisms: breaking tear film stability by interfering with the mucous layer; disrupting membrane components such as phospholipids and proteins; and loosening epithelial cellular junctions. DPEs offer significant potential to improve bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes, particularly for drugs targeting the posterior segment of the eye. This review is focused on analyzing the current literature regarding the use of penetration enhancers in topical ocular drug delivery, highlighting their mechanisms of action and potential to revolutionize ophthalmic treatments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1631bae728df4a26a2d03857906fdb5e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj-art-1631bae728df4a26a2d03857906fdb5e2025-08-20T03:13:32ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232025-03-0117444710.3390/pharmaceutics17040447Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation EnhancersGonçalo Santos0Esmeralda Delgado1Beatriz Silva2Berta São Braz3Lídia Gonçalves4Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, PortugalCIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde Animal, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, PortugalCIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde Animal, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, PortugalCIISA—Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar em Saúde Animal, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de Lisboa, 1300-477 Lisboa, PortugalResearch Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, PortugalTopical ophthalmic drug delivery targeting the posterior segment of the eye has become a key area of interest due to its non-invasive nature, safety, ease of application, patient compliance, and cost-effectiveness. However, achievement of effective drug bioavailability in the posterior ocular segment is a significant challenge due to unique ocular barriers, including precorneal factors and anatomical barriers, like the cornea, the conjunctiva, and the sclera. Successful ocular drug delivery systems require increased precorneal residence time and improved corneal penetration to enhance intraocular bioavailability. A promising strategy to overcome these barriers is incorporating drug penetration enhancers (DPEs) into formulations. These compounds facilitate drug delivery by improving permeability across otherwise impermeable or poorly permeable membranes. At the ocular level, they act through three primary mechanisms: breaking tear film stability by interfering with the mucous layer; disrupting membrane components such as phospholipids and proteins; and loosening epithelial cellular junctions. DPEs offer significant potential to improve bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes, particularly for drugs targeting the posterior segment of the eye. This review is focused on analyzing the current literature regarding the use of penetration enhancers in topical ocular drug delivery, highlighting their mechanisms of action and potential to revolutionize ophthalmic treatments.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/447oculardeliverypermeationenhancers |
| spellingShingle | Gonçalo Santos Esmeralda Delgado Beatriz Silva Berta São Braz Lídia Gonçalves Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers Pharmaceutics ocular delivery permeation enhancers |
| title | Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers |
| title_full | Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers |
| title_fullStr | Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers |
| title_short | Topical Ocular Drug Delivery: The Impact of Permeation Enhancers |
| title_sort | topical ocular drug delivery the impact of permeation enhancers |
| topic | ocular delivery permeation enhancers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/17/4/447 |
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