DENDRIMERS IN OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

The anatomical and physiological complexity of the eye significantly hinders drug delivery to both the anterior and posterior segments, complicating the treatment of various ocular diseases. Although conventional ophthalmic formulations, primarily topical eye drops, are widely used, their bioavailability remains low. Recent advancements in nanotechnology have introduced dendrimers as promising nanoscale drug carriers for ocular therapy. Dendrimers can enhance drug solubility, permeability, stability, and retention owing to their unique branched architecture, multivalent surface functionality, and capacity for precise drug targeting. This review discusses the anatomical barriers to ocular drug delivery, innovative strategies to overcome them, and highlights various dendrimer generations, types, synthesis methods, and their applications in treating eye disorders such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and uveitis. Furthermore, it explores clinical studies, patents and their ocular applications/rationale, and regulatory hurdles associated with the clinical translation of dendrimer-based therapeutics. Despite, promising preclinical data, manufacturing and regulatory challenges remain major hurdles for their widespread clinical use. Dendrimers hold great promise as advanced ocular drug delivery systems, with the potential to improve treatment efficacy for a wide range of vision-impairing disorders.