Frontier applications of retinal nanomedicine: progress, challenges and perspectives

Abstract The human retina is a fragile and sophisticated light-sensitive tissue in the central nervous system. Unhealthy retinas can cause irreversible visual deterioration and permanent vision loss. Effective therapeutic strategies are restricted to the treatment or reversal of these conditions. In...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhimin Tang, Fuxiang Ye, Ni Ni, Xianqun Fan, Linna Lu, Ping Gu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:Journal of Nanobiotechnology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12951-025-03095-6
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Summary:Abstract The human retina is a fragile and sophisticated light-sensitive tissue in the central nervous system. Unhealthy retinas can cause irreversible visual deterioration and permanent vision loss. Effective therapeutic strategies are restricted to the treatment or reversal of these conditions. In recent years, nanoscience and nanotechnology have revolutionized targeted management of retinal diseases. Pharmaceuticals, theranostics, regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and retinal prostheses are indispensable for retinal interventions and have been significantly advanced by nanomedical innovations. Hence, this review presents novel insights into the use of versatile nanomaterial-based nanocomposites for frontier retinal applications, including non-invasive drug delivery, theranostic contrast agents, therapeutic nanoagents, gene therapy, stem cell-based therapy, retinal optogenetics and retinal prostheses, which have mainly been reported within the last 5 years. Furthermore, recent progress, potential challenges, and future perspectives in this field are highlighted and discussed in detail, which may shed light on future clinical translations and ultimately, benefit patients with retinal disorders. Graphical Abstract
ISSN:1477-3155