For a brighter future...
Barbara Buchan, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Eye gels for the treatment of corneal Cystinosis have been developed which have the ability to adhere to the surface of the eye. It is hoped that this will allow release of cysteamine over a longer time period and therefore reduce the necessity of hourly drops.
Three eye gels were formulated, each containing a different gel type, and their characteristics were investigated. These included drug release times, how they would flow on the eye surface and whether or not they adhered to tissue.
The gels were found to possess similar characteristics and exhibit properties desirable for eye gels. On average the experimental compound was released over an eight-hour period. The gels were formulated to be weakly adherent to the eye tissue and tests confirmed this. Overall, the gels appeared promising for improvement upon the current eye drops.
