Multifunctional nanocomposite eye drops of cyclodextrin complex@layered double hydroxides for relay drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye

Topical drug delivery system to the posterior segment of the eye is facing many challenges, such as rapid drug elimination, low permeability, and low concentration at the targeted sites. To overcome these challenges, Multifunctional nanocomposite eye drops of dexamethasone-carboxymethyl-β[email protected] double hydroxides-glycylsarcosine (DEX-CM-β[email protected]) were developed for relay drug delivery. Herein, our studies demonstrated that DEX-CM-β[email protected] could penetrate through human conjunctival epithelial cells with an intact structure and exhibited integrity in the sclera of rabbits’ eyes with in vivo fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging. Consequently, tissue distribution indicated that DEX-CM-β[email protected] nanocomposite eye drops could maintain the effective therapeutic concentration of DEX in choroid-retina within 3 h. As a relay drug delivery system, [email protected] nanocomposites offer an efficient strategy for drug delivery from ocular surface to the posterior segment.