Modification of contact lenses via metal‐organic frameworks for glaucoma treatment

• Published in: Aggregate (Hoboken) 2024-10, Vol.5 (5), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Yaremenko, Alexey V., Melikov, Roman O., Pechnikova, Nadezhda A., Belyaev, Iaroslav B., Ringaci, Alina, Yaremenko, Tamara V., Mirkasymov, Aziz B., Tamgin, Alexandr A., Rodionov, Vladislav I., Dolotova, Sofya M., Plisko, Grigory A., Semivelichenko, Evgeny D., Rogova, Anna S., Muslimov, Albert R., Ivkina, Arina S., Ivkin, Dmitry Yu, Erichev, Valery P., Deyev, Sergey M., Avetisov, Sergey E., Li, Yongjiang, Liu, Hai‐Jun, Zelepukin, Ivan V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: brimonidine; contact lenses; drug delivery; glaucoma; intraocular pressure; metal‐organic frameworks; nanoparticles
• ISSN: 2692-4560; 2692-4560
• DOI: 10.1002/agt2.586

The prevention of blindness from glaucoma requires multiple treatments to lower intraocular pressure. Here, human contact lenses are modified with highly porous metal‐organic frameworks with sustained release of brimonidine for prolonged glaucoma treatment. Various metal‐organic frameworks were screened for their attachment to lenses, loading with brimonidine, and drug‐release properties. Optimized therapeutic ocular lenses conjugated with MIL‐101(Cr) frameworks maintain optical transparency and power. Coating of lenses with MIL‐101(Cr) nanoparticles reduced brimonidine washout with tears and ensured a gradual and localized release of the drug into the eyeball through the cornea. The hybrid lenses provided a 4.5‐fold better decrease in eye pressure, compared by area under the curve (AUC) value to a commercially available brimonidine tartrate solution. Therapeutic lenses did not induce any notable eye irritation or corneal damage in vivo. The newly developed hybrid lenses are expected to provide a robust platform for the therapy and prevention of various ocular diseases. An optimized metal‐organic frameworks modified contact lenses (MIL‐101(Cr)@Lens) for prevention of blindness from glaucoma was developed by physical adsorption and aggregation of nanoparticles. MIL‐101(Cr)@Lens could effectively adopt brimonidine and release it in a sustained manner to achieve a 4.5‐fold better reduction of eye pressure than commercial eye drops Alphagan, without compromising optical features.