Drug-eluting intraocular lens with sustained bromfenac release for conquering posterior capsular opacification

ABSTRACT: Cataract is the leading cause of visual impairment, and posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is the most common long-term complication of modern cataract surgery, which can cause severe visual impairment after surgery. The proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of residual lens epithelial cells (LECs) stimulated by growth factors and cytokines, are the key pathological mechanisms involved in the development of PCO. This study demonstrated that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), bromfenac, was capable of effectively inhibiting cell migration, overexpression of EMT markers, such as fibronectin (FN), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and transcription factor Snail, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) signaling induced by transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) in vitro. The inhibitory effect of bromfenac on TGF-β2-induced EMT was also verified on a primary lens epithelial cell model using human anterior capsules. Furthermore, based on ultrasonic spray technology, we developed a drug-eluting intraocular lens (IOL) using poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with sustained bromfenac release ability for the prevention of PCO development. In the rabbit models of cataract surgery, bromfenac-eluting IOL exhibited remarkable PCO prevention and inflammation suppression effects with excellent biocompatibility. In conclusion, bromfenac can inhibit TGF-β2-induced cell migration and the EMT of LECs via ERK/GSK-3β/Snail signaling. The present study offers a novel approach for preventing PCO through PLGA-based drug sustained-release IOLs. Graphical abstract TGF-β2 promoted migration and EMT of lens epithelial cells (LECs) through activation of ERK/GSK-3β/Snail signaling, which could be suppressed by bromfenac. Novel bromfenac-based drug-eluting IOLs exhibited excellent PCO prevention in vivo.Image 1 Highlights • Bromfenac inhibited TGF-β2-induced migration and EMT of LECs through ERK/GSK-3β/Snail signaling.• Drug-eluting IOLs with sustained bromfenac release were developed based on ultrasonic spray technology.• Bromfenac-eluting IOLs exhibited remarkable PCO prevention and inflammation suppression effects in vivo.• Bromfenac-eluting IOLs hold great potential for clinical application of PCO prevention.

SUBMITTER: Zhang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8586266 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature