“I’d rather stick needles in my
eyes.”
That
phrase – said famously by Jack Nicholson in the 1983 film Terms Of Endearment –
has become a sarcastic catchphrase. But now, scientists in Singapore are
exploring a novel method of treating eye diseases such as glaucoma and diabetic
retinopathy that would involve pushing tiny needles into patients’ eyes.
Researchers
at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore developed a contact
lens-like patch with nine microneedles that can be filled with drugs.
When
pressed gently into the eye, the microneedles – which are biodegradable and
thinner than a strand of hair – break off by themselves and remain in the
cornea, continuing to release the drugs before eventually dissolving.
While
the treatment might sound unappealing, the NTU team say it’s painless. And
importantly, it could be a more effective technique to deliver eye drugs than
current methods.
Eye
injections can be painful and carry a risk of infection and eye damage, while
drops and ointments can be washed out by tears or blinking and some patients
struggle to continue administering them at home.
The
researchers tested the patch on mice with corneal vascularization, where oxygen
deprivation causes new blood vessels to grow into the corneal tissue – a
condition that can lead to blindness.
They
found that, after a single treatment dose of 1 microgram was applied on a
patch, there was a 90% reduction in the area of blood vessels, compared to no
significant reduction when 10 times the amount of drug was applied in droplet
form.
Professor
Chen Peng, a biotechnology expert at NTU who also developed a fat-burning microneedle patch, led the
research team with input from Singapore National Eye Centre’s Associate
Professor Gemmy Cheung. Their findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
Chen
said the patch could provide an efficient and long-lasting method of localized
drug delivery that patients could apply themselves at home.
“The
microneedles are made of a substance found naturally in the body, and we have
shown in lab tests on mice that they are painless and minimally invasive.
“If
we successfully replicate the same results in human trials, the patch could
become a good option for eye diseases that require long-term management at
home, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
“Patients
who find it hard to keep up with the regime of repeatedly applying eye drops
and ointments would also find the patch useful as well, as it has the potential
to achieve the same therapeutic effect with a smaller and less frequent
dosage.”
