One of the most important and challenging goals in pharmaceutical prevention for posterior capsule opacification is to preserve an effective drug concentration in capsular bag for a long period without affecting the patients' vision. Here, a novel kind of composite, which was prepared by 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) via a two-step process, was applied for capsular tension ring (CTR) as an implant that could deliver docetaxel (DTX) over a long period of time. The drug release rate of the composite could be controlled by the ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) content and the ratio of HEMA/MMA as well as the structure of porous PMMA framework. The CTR could continuously release DTX for up to 6 weeks in vitro and maintain DTX in effective concentration in the aqueous humor after 42 days. Docetaxel-load capsular tension ring (DTX-CTR) presented strong inhibition on the lens epithelial cells in-vivo without obvious damage to normal tissues. These results indicate that the drug sustained-release CTR can provide a promising application in posterior capsule opacification prevention.
Keywords: Capsular tension ring; Docetaxel; High internal phase emulsion; Lens epithelial cells; Posterior capsule opacification.
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.