A new eye drop developed in Australia has shown early success in delivering protective compounds to the eye and raised hopes for less invasive treatment of serious vision conditions.
A media release said the research, led by RMIT University, was focused on retinal diseases, especially age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The researchers investigated delivering lutein, a protective antioxidant compound found in Gac fruit, to the back of the eye to support retinal health and potentially slow or prevent damage.
The release said that in pre-clinical mice studies supported by the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), the formula reached the back of the eye, which is currently only accessible through injections, and kept the active compound stable for months at room temperature.
The team demonstrated that lutein delivered using their new formulation protected retinal cells from stress and damage linked to vision loss, RMIT said.
Dr Dao Nguyen, who co-led the research, said the formulation could help delevlop more patient-friendly therapies.
“Frequent eye injections are uncomfortable and can be distressing for patients,” said Dr Nguyen, who was involved in the study while at RMIT and is now at Deakin University’s School of Medicine.
“If the formulation works, people could use the eye drop as a preventative measure that could reduce the risk of developing late-stage diseases and the need for injections.
“Our eye drop formula is designed to treat early stages of age-related macular degeneration in a way that’s far easier to use, but it will take further research and clinical trials before it can reach people.”
She said the eye drops would not replace injections.
Team leader Associate Professor Tien Huynh from RMIT’s School of Science said the eye drops could be adapted to carry different treatments.
“This is a technology with broad potential. We’ve shown it can protect fragile ingredients and carry them safely to the back of the eye, which has long been a barrier for treatments,” A/Prof Huynh said.
Professor Charlotte Conn and Dr Sampa Sarkar said the RMIT-patented nanotechnology, called cubosomes, acted like tiny shields, keeping the compound safe and releasing it in a controlled way once it was inside the eye.
The researchers said the work was still at an early stage and the next step was to work with clinical and industry partners to test the formula further and move it towards human trials.
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