Nanomedicine in ophthalmology: the new frontier

Purpose: To review the fields of nanotechnology and nanomedicine as they relate to the development of treatments for vision-threatening disorders.

Design: Perspective following literature review.

Methods: Analysis of relevant publications in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Results: Nanotechnology involves the creation and use of materials and devices at the size scale of intracellular structures and molecules and involves systems and constructs on the order of <100 nm. The aim of nanomedicine is the comprehensive monitoring, control, construction, repair, defense, and improvement of human biological systems at the molecular level, using engineered nanodevices and nanostructures, operating massively in parallel at the single cell level, ultimately to achieve medical benefit. The earliest impact of nanomedicine is likely to involve the areas of biopharmaceuticals (eg, drug delivery, drug discovery), implantable materials (eg, tissue regeneration scaffolds, bioresorbable materials), implantable devices (eg, intraocular pressure monitors, glaucoma drainage valves), and diagnostic tools (eg, genetic testing, imaging, intraocular pressure monitoring). Nanotechnology will bring about the development of regenerative medicine (ie, replacement and improvement of cells, tissues, and organs), ultrahigh-resolution in vivo imaging, microsensors and feedback devices, and artificial vision. "Regenerative nanomedicine," a new subfield of nanomedicine, uses nanoparticles containing gene transcription factors and other modulating molecules that allow for the reprogramming of cells in vivo.

Conclusions: Nanotechnology already has been applied to the measurement and treatment of different disease states in ophthalmology (including early- and late-stage disease), and many additional innovations will occur during the next century.