A swarm of slippery micropropellers penetrates the vitreous body of the eye.

ABSTRACT: The intravitreal delivery of therapeutic agents promises major benefits in the field of ocular medicine. Traditional delivery methods rely on the random, passive diffusion of molecules, which do not allow for the rapid delivery of a concentrated cargo to a defined region at the posterior pole of the eye. The use of particles promises targeted delivery but faces the challenge that most tissues including the vitreous have a tight macromolecular matrix that acts as a barrier and prevents its penetration. Here, we demonstrate novel intravitreal delivery microvehicles-slippery micropropellers-that can be actively propelled through the vitreous humor to reach the retina. The propulsion is achieved by helical magnetic micropropellers that have a liquid layer coating to minimize adhesion to the su

SUBMITTER: Wu Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6214640 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature