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Role of Block Copolymers in Ocular Drug Delivery

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Block Co-polymeric Nanocarriers: Design, Concept, and Therapeutic Applications

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Abstract

For the therapeutic management of eye disorders, ophthalmic drug delivery is an important concern. Conventional drug delivery frequently possesses inherent disadvantages, including reduced bioavailability caused by poor corneal penetrability and a limited drug survival time. Eye diseases associated with aging are more frequent nowadays. The major prevalent concerns, including cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), have been shown a noticeable rise. Copolymers and block copolymers have been utilized extensively for ocular drug delivery and their applications range from the formation of sustained release formulations to smart polymeric delivery-based systems, such as stimuli-responsive polymeric systems, including pH-sensitive, thermosensitive, photo-sensitive, enzyme-sensitive, etc. Lately, numerous types of block copolymer-based nanocarriers have been developed and are being researched for the delivery of drugs to the eyes. This chapter discusses the role of block copolymers, including their subtypes, as well as the most significant and recent developments on self-assembled block copolymers as nanocarrier systems which can be used to successfully increase the solubility of hydrophobic drugs, useful in targeting the eye, delivering active molecules in a controlled manner meanwhile lessening side effects.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India

    Yash Sharma, Kanak Chahar & Mritunjay Kumar

  2. Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India

    Lopamudra Mishra, Lakshmi Kumari & Balak Das Kurmi

  3. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India

    Preeti Patel

  4. University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India

    Dilpreet Singh

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  1. Yash Sharma
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  2. Kanak Chahar
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  4. Lopamudra Mishra
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  5. Lakshmi Kumari
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Neeraj Mishra

  2. Department of Pharmaceutics, Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Vikas Pandey

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Sharma, Y. et al. (2023). Role of Block Copolymers in Ocular Drug Delivery. In: Mishra, N., Pandey, V. (eds) Block Co-polymeric Nanocarriers: Design, Concept, and Therapeutic Applications. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6917-3_14

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