Advances in nanotechnology-based anti-VEGF agents for the management of ocular angiogenesis

Abstract

Ocular neovascularizations present a pathological angiogenesis process that can lead to irreversible visual alteration. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the key factor involved in this process, thereby the main therapeutic target, and the intraocular administration of anti-VEGF agents is the first-line clinical therapy for these diseases. However, anti-VEGF therapy presents certain limitations associated with the high costs of the treatment and therapeutic scheme that includes frequent intravitreal injections, leading to side effects and poor patient compliance. Nowadays, novel strategies based on nanotechnology are being studied to optimize the ocular delivery of anti-VEGF agents and reduce the number of applications required. In this way, different nanoparticulate systems have been developed as promising carriers of these drugs such as liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric nanoparticles, among others. This chapter describes the main challenges of anti-VEGF therapy for ocular neovascularizations and the different nanotechnological tools explored for the delivery of these agents aiming to overcome these challenges.