Ophthalmology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ophthalmology, including details on eye surgery, myopia, cataracts.

Two-photon absorption-controlled multidose drug release: a novel approach for secondary cataract treatment.

Kim HC, Härtner S, Behe M, Behr TM, Hampp NA

University of Marburg, Faculty of Chemistry, Germany.

Tens of millions of cataract surgeries are done every year and the number is increasing heavily. Posterior capsule opacification is the major postoperative complication with an incidence of 10 to 50% within 5 years, depending on the age of the patient. We present a novel approach for secondary cataract treatment in a noninvasive manner. Photochemically triggered drug release from a polymer enables repeated drug applications for cataract treatment years after implantation of the intraocular lens, just when needed. However, light in the visible spectral range must pass through the lens but must not induce drug release. We demonstrate that two-photon absorption photochemistry is a powerful tool to overcome this problem. With wavelengths in the visible regime, a photochemical reaction that requires energies in the UV is triggered. The high intensities needed for this process never occur in any lighting condition in daily lives, but may be easily obtained with focused laser beams routinely used in ophthalmology. The properties of the therapeutic system are specified and the function is demonstrated by in-vitro cell tests. Noninvasive multidose photochemically triggered drug release from implanted intraocular lenses carrying a drug depot may be a therapeutic as well as an economic choice to established treatments of secondary cataracts.

Published 6 July 2006 in J Biomed Opt, 11(3): 34024.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Ophthalmology Research Today. All Rights Reserved.