Recent Advances in Ocular Therapy by Hydrogel Biomaterials

Abstract

Current clinical practice in ocular disease treatment dosage forms primarily relies on eye drops or eye ointments, which face significant challenges in terms of low bioavailability profiles, rapid removal from the administration site, and thus ineffective therapeutic efficiency. Hydrogel has several distinct properties in semi-solid thermodynamics and viscoelasticity, as well as diverse functions and performance in biocompatibility and degradation, making it extremely promising for overcoming the challenges in current ocular treatment. In this review, the most recent developments in the use of hydrogel biomaterials in ocular therapy are presented. These sophisticated hydrogel biomaterials with diverse functions, aimed at therapeutic administration for ocular treatment, are further classified into several active domains, including drug delivery system, surface repair patch, tissue-engineered cornea, intraocular lens, and vitreous substitute. Finally, the possible strategies for future design of multifunctional hydrogels by combining materials science with biological interface are proposed.