Poster abstracts
Poster number 113 submitted by Meghal Keskar
Dexamethasone loaded nanoparticles suspended inside vitreous substitute for targeted anti-inflammatory response
Meghal Keskar (William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering ), Leah T. Danish (Department of Biomedical Engineering), George Z. Liu (Department of Biomedical Engineering ), Katelyn E. Swindle-Reilly
Abstract:
Several ocular illnesses warrant a pars plana vitrectomy, after which ocular inflammation becomes a concern. Commonly used methods to deploy anti-inflammatory corticosteroid Dexamethasone, include topical eyedrops and intravitreal implants. In this study, the use of nanoparticles (NP) is evaluated as well as the incorporation of said NPs inside a hydrogel-based vitreous substitute. The goal is to design a novel anti-inflammatory drug delivery system within a vitreous substitute to target post-operative ocular inflammation. Preliminary data supports the development of a novel anti-inflammatory delivery system which closely mimics the native vitreous in mechanical and optical properties. Further optimization is required to discern ideal NP loading concentration based on the release profile. The proposed NP-hydrogel system has the potential to improve patient standard of care as well as patient compliance by reducing the frequency of ocular injections and topical eyedrops.
Keywords: Nanoparticle, Hydrogel , Polymer