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Future Pharmacology
Special Issues
Unveiling New Insights and Treatment Options for Ocular Surface Diseases
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Unveiling New Insights and Treatment Options for Ocular Surface Diseases

A special issue of Future Pharmacology (ISSN 2673-9879).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 2109

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Paola Tirassa

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Guest Editor
Institute of Biochemistry & Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Unit of Translational & Biomolecular Medicine “Rita Levi-Montalcini”, Viale dell’Università 33, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: drug delivery systems; neuroscience; neurotrophins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pamela Rosso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biochemistry & Cell Biology (IBBC), National Research Council (CNR), Unit of Translational & Biomolecular Medicine “Rita Levi-Montalcini”, Viale dell’Università 33, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: neuroscience; neuroinflammation; neurodegeneration
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Fabiana Mallone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Interests: ocular surface diseases; cornea; confocal imaging; anterior segment-OCT (AS-OCT); inflammation; immunology; neuropathic corneal pain; dry eye; neurotrophic keratitis; cornea surgery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ocular surface diseases comprise a spectrum of disorders that affect the surface of the eyes, including dry eye disease (DED), neurotrophic keratitis (NK), and neuropathic corneal pain (NCP). These diseases can have significant impacts on visual acuity, comfort, and quality of life for affected individuals. Ocular surface diseases share a common feature of inflammation and immune responses driving their pathogenesis and progression. Inflammatory processes lead to the release of neuromediators and growth factors, contributing to the development and symptoms of ocular surface diseases. Insights into the underlying mechanisms of ocular surface diseases hold great promise for the identification of novel biomarkers and the development of targeted treatments that specifically address the molecular pathways involved in these diseases. This personalized approach is expected to enhance treatment efficacy and improve patient outcomes.

We are pleased to invite colleagues working in any field related to ocular surface diseases, from drug design and formulation to drug delivery and treatment, to submit their work for publication in this Special Issue. We are confident that, through the publication of innovative research, insightful reviews, and cutting-edge studies, this Special Issue in Pharmaceutics will help foster interdisciplinary collaboration and stimulate the further exploration of novel approaches and therapeutic strategies for ocular surface diseases. We encourage researchers and experts to contribute their valuable work to this issue, as together, we can advance our understanding and improve the management of these challenging conditions.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for scientists to publish their experimental results, novel findings, innovative methodologies, and theoretical assumptions in the field of ocular surface diseases. By providing an avenue for researchers to share their findings and insights, we aim to promote further exploration and advancements in this area of research. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: pharmaceutical sciences, ophthalmology, immunology, and bioengineering.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Pharmaceutics.

Dr. Paola Tirassa
Dr. Pamela Rosso
Dr. Fabiana Mallone
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Future Pharmacology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ocular surface diseases
  • dry eye
  • neurotrophic keratitis
  • neuropathic corneal pain
  • inflammation
  • immune cells, dendritic cells
  • neuromediators and growth factors
  • biomarkers
  • drug delivery systems
  • advanced therapy
  • tissue engineering

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

16 pages, 2686 KiB  
Review
Ocular Drug Delivery into the Eyes Using Drug-Releasing Soft Contact Lens
by Toshihiko Tashima
Future Pharmacol. 2024, 4(2), 336-351; https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol4020019 - 29 Apr 2024
Viewed by 478
Abstract
The impact of visual impairment, such as blindness, on quality of life is immeasurable. However, effective ocular drug delivery into the eyes has not yet been established, primarily due to the impermeability imposed by the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) based on the tight junctions [...] Read more.
The impact of visual impairment, such as blindness, on quality of life is immeasurable. However, effective ocular drug delivery into the eyes has not yet been established, primarily due to the impermeability imposed by the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) based on the tight junctions and efflux transporters at the endothelium or the epithelium in oral or intravenous administration, as well as the dilution with tear fluid and excretion through the nasolacrimal duct in eye drop administration. Furthermore, intravitreous injections induce pain and fear in patients. Unmet medical needs persist in ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Therefore, innovative non-invasive administration methods should be developed. Drug-releasing soft contact lenses (DR-SCLs) affixed to the eye’s surface can continuously and locally deliver their loaded drugs to the eyes. The use of DR-SCLs is expected to greatly enhance the bioavailability and patient adherence to the drug regimen. It is known that several solute carrier (SLC) transporters are expressed in various parts of the eyes, including the cornea, the ciliary body, and the bulbar conjunctiva. Carrier-mediated transport through SLC transporters may occur in addition to passive diffusion. Moreover, nanoparticles can be loaded into DR-SCLs, offering various intelligent approaches based on modifications to induce receptor-mediated endocytosis/transcytosis or to control the loaded drug release within this delivery system. In this perspective review, I discuss the implementation and potential of DR-SCL-mediated ocular drug delivery, particularly focusing on low-molecular-weight compounds because of their fine distribution in living body, ease of handling, and ease of manufacturing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unveiling New Insights and Treatment Options for Ocular Surface Diseases)
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21 pages, 4281 KiB  
Review
Carrier-Mediated Delivery of Low-Molecular-Weight N-Containing Drugs across the Blood–Brain Barrier or the Blood–Retinal Barrier Using the Proton-Coupled Organic Cation Antiporter
by Toshihiko Tashima
Future Pharmacol. 2023, 3(4), 742-762; https://doi.org/10.3390/futurepharmacol3040046 - 12 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1237
Abstract
While it is true that pharmacotherapy has achieved desired health outcomes, significant unmet medical needs persist in the field of central nervous system (CNS) drugs, particularly for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and [...] Read more.
While it is true that pharmacotherapy has achieved desired health outcomes, significant unmet medical needs persist in the field of central nervous system (CNS) drugs, particularly for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Drugs cannot enter the brain from the bloodstream due to the presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Similarly, they cannot enter the eyes from the bloodstream due to the blood–retina barrier (BRB), which is composed of the endothelium or the epithelium. Thus, innovative drug delivery systems that can overcome these barriers based on efflux transporters, hydrophobic lipid bilayer membranes, and tight junctions should be developed using patient-friendly techniques distinct from craniotomy procedures or intravitreal injections. Brain-penetrating CNS drugs and antihistamine drugs commonly share N-containing groups. These findings suggest that certain types of cation transporters are involved in their transportation across the cell membrane. Indeed, the proton-coupled organic cation (H+/OC) antiporter, whose specific characteristics remain unidentified, is responsible for transporting compounds with N-containing groups, such as clonidine and pyrilamine, at the BBB, and likely at the BRB as well. Therefore, well-designed low-molecular-weight drugs containing N-containing groups as transporter recognition units can enter the brain or the eyes through carrier-mediated transport. In this perspective review, I introduce the implementation and potential of H+/OC antiporter-mediated transport across the endothelium at the BBB or the BRB using drugs consciously designed with N-containing groups as their substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Unveiling New Insights and Treatment Options for Ocular Surface Diseases)
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