Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment

Yuhan Huang,1,* Dan Yan,1,* Weijie Ouyang,1,2,* Jiaoyue Hu,1,3 Zuguo Liu1,3,4 1Xiamen University Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science; Fujian Engineering and Research Center of Eye Regenerative Medicine...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Huang Y, Yan D, Ouyang W, Hu J, Liu Z
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Dove Medical Press 2025-06-01
Series:International Journal of Nanomedicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.dovepress.com/recent-achievements-and-perspectives-in-smart-nano-in-micro-platforms--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJN
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850157489770725376
author Huang Y
Yan D
Ouyang W
Hu J
Liu Z
author_facet Huang Y
Yan D
Ouyang W
Hu J
Liu Z
author_sort Huang Y
collection DOAJ
description Yuhan Huang,1,* Dan Yan,1,* Weijie Ouyang,1,2,* Jiaoyue Hu,1,3 Zuguo Liu1,3,4 1Xiamen University Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science; Fujian Engineering and Research Center of Eye Regenerative Medicine; Eye Institute of Xiamen University; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zuguo Liu, Eye Institute of Xiamen University, 168 Daxue Road, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China, Email zuguoliu@xmu.edu.cn Jiaoyue Hu, Eye Institute of Xiamen University, 168 Daxue Road, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China, Email mydear_22000@163.comAbstract: Ocular diseases present unique therapeutic challenges due to the complex anatomical and physiological barriers of the eye. Conventional drug delivery systems often suffer from poor bioavailability, rapid clearance, and inadequate targeting, limiting their clinical efficacy. Recent advances in smart nano-in-micro (NIM) platforms have emerged as a transformative strategy, combining the precision of nanoscale drug carriers with the stability and sustained-release capabilities of microscale matrices. These hierarchical systems enable enhanced drug penetration, prolonged retention, and targeted delivery to both anterior and posterior ocular segments. This review highlights the latest developments in NIM platforms, focusing on material innovations that optimize drug loading, release kinetics, and biocompatibility. The shared physicochemical properties of nano-micro particles that influence their performance across different administration routes (topical, intravitreal, subconjunctival), supported by mechanistic insights into their interactions with ocular tissues are discussed. By bridging nanoscale engineering with clinical ophthalmology, NIM platforms represent a paradigm shift in ocular therapeutics, offering the potential to revolutionize treatment for previously intractable eye diseases.Keywords: nano-in-micro, nanoparticles, ocular diseases, ocular drug delivery
format Article
id doaj-art-196c68184f0f43348752c05622bc740b
institution OA Journals
issn 1178-2013
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Dove Medical Press
record_format Article
series International Journal of Nanomedicine
spelling doaj-art-196c68184f0f43348752c05622bc740b2025-08-20T02:24:08ZengDove Medical PressInternational Journal of Nanomedicine1178-20132025-06-01Volume 20Issue 175797612103932Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease TreatmentHuang YYan D0Ouyang W1Hu JLiu ZophthalmologyOphthalmologyYuhan Huang,1,* Dan Yan,1,* Weijie Ouyang,1,2,* Jiaoyue Hu,1,3 Zuguo Liu1,3,4 1Xiamen University Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science; Fujian Engineering and Research Center of Eye Regenerative Medicine; Eye Institute of Xiamen University; School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zuguo Liu, Eye Institute of Xiamen University, 168 Daxue Road, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China, Email zuguoliu@xmu.edu.cn Jiaoyue Hu, Eye Institute of Xiamen University, 168 Daxue Road, Xiamen, Fujian, People’s Republic of China, Email mydear_22000@163.comAbstract: Ocular diseases present unique therapeutic challenges due to the complex anatomical and physiological barriers of the eye. Conventional drug delivery systems often suffer from poor bioavailability, rapid clearance, and inadequate targeting, limiting their clinical efficacy. Recent advances in smart nano-in-micro (NIM) platforms have emerged as a transformative strategy, combining the precision of nanoscale drug carriers with the stability and sustained-release capabilities of microscale matrices. These hierarchical systems enable enhanced drug penetration, prolonged retention, and targeted delivery to both anterior and posterior ocular segments. This review highlights the latest developments in NIM platforms, focusing on material innovations that optimize drug loading, release kinetics, and biocompatibility. The shared physicochemical properties of nano-micro particles that influence their performance across different administration routes (topical, intravitreal, subconjunctival), supported by mechanistic insights into their interactions with ocular tissues are discussed. By bridging nanoscale engineering with clinical ophthalmology, NIM platforms represent a paradigm shift in ocular therapeutics, offering the potential to revolutionize treatment for previously intractable eye diseases.Keywords: nano-in-micro, nanoparticles, ocular diseases, ocular drug deliveryhttps://www.dovepress.com/recent-achievements-and-perspectives-in-smart-nano-in-micro-platforms--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJNNano-in-microNIMnanoparticlesNPsocular diseasesocular drug delivery
spellingShingle Huang Y
Yan D
Ouyang W
Hu J
Liu Z
Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment
International Journal of Nanomedicine
Nano-in-micro
NIM
nanoparticles
NPs
ocular diseases
ocular drug delivery
title Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment
title_full Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment
title_fullStr Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment
title_full_unstemmed Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment
title_short Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Smart Nano-in-Micro Platforms for Ocular Disease Treatment
title_sort recent achievements and perspectives in smart nano in micro platforms for ocular disease treatment
topic Nano-in-micro
NIM
nanoparticles
NPs
ocular diseases
ocular drug delivery
url https://www.dovepress.com/recent-achievements-and-perspectives-in-smart-nano-in-micro-platforms--peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJN
work_keys_str_mv AT huangy recentachievementsandperspectivesinsmartnanoinmicroplatformsforoculardiseasetreatment
AT yand recentachievementsandperspectivesinsmartnanoinmicroplatformsforoculardiseasetreatment
AT ouyangw recentachievementsandperspectivesinsmartnanoinmicroplatformsforoculardiseasetreatment
AT huj recentachievementsandperspectivesinsmartnanoinmicroplatformsforoculardiseasetreatment
AT liuz recentachievementsandperspectivesinsmartnanoinmicroplatformsforoculardiseasetreatment