Long-Term Intraocular Pressure Reduction Using A Nanostructured Intracameral Latanoprost Platform

To develop and evaluate a nanotechnology-based sustained drug delivery system for long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) control, addressing limitations of topical therapy including poor adherence, ocular surface toxicity, and pressure fluctuation.

Experimental animal study conducted at a tertiary academic ophthalmology research center.

A latanoprost-immobilized polycaprolactone (PCL) platform incorporating a high–surface-area leaf-stacked structure (LSS), termed LAT-PLSS, was fabricated to optimize drug loading and controlled release. Structural morphology was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy. Intracameral implantation was performed in a rabbit glaucoma model, with the fellow eye serving as untreated control. IOP was monitored for 200 days. IOP fluctuation was calculated as the standard deviation of serial measurements.

Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated a nanoscale porous architecture enabling sustained diffusion. Mean IOP in treated eyes decreased from 24.3 ± 2.1 mmHg at baseline to 16.3 ± 2.1 mmHg at 200 days (p<0.05), representing a 32.9% reduction. Untreated fellow eyes showed no sustained IOP reduction. No severe intraocular inflammation, device migration, or clinically significant corneal endothelial cell loss was observed.

The LAT-PLSS platform achieved sustained 200-day IOP reduction in a rabbit glaucoma model. This nanostructured intracameral system may offer a potential long-term therapeutic strategy for glaucoma management and warrants further investigation toward clinical translation.