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H2020Individual fellowship2019–2021

Light4Sight · Light-activated carriers for the controlled delivery of therapeutic peptides in posterior segment eye diseases

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2019-11-01 → 2021-10-31
EU contribution
€224,934
Participants
1
Scheme
MSCA-IF-EF-ST

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Results in brief

Light-activated carriers for the controlled delivery of therapeutic peptides in posterior segment eye diseases

Recent report from the Global Health Commission estimated that in 2020 596 million people around the world had distance vision impairment and the number is expected to increase to 895 million by 2050. Ocular diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and glaucoma, pose a serious threat to vision as structures of the back of the eye, such as retina, choroid or macula, are affected in these diseases. Current therapies to treat posterior eye diseases require long-term treatments and invasive methods to ensure that adequate drug levels reach the back of the eye, while causing patients’ discomfort and risk of inflammation. Hence, the development of safe and efficient therapies to treat these diseases is crucial to improve patient’s quality of life and decrease the burden in healthcare systems. In the Light4Sight project, a delivery system was developed for the release of therapeutics in the vitreous humour for the treatment of posterior segment ocular disorders. Hyaluronic acid, the main component of the vitreous, was used and modified with light sensitive small molecules to produce a supramolecular hydrogel that disassembles and releases the cargo upon light irradiation. The overarching goal on the hydrogel design is to control and predict the release of different molecular therapeutics (e.g. macromolecules and small molecules) by light stimulation, as well as to provide an intra-ocular drug delivery platform for potential clinical applications.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

In 2016, the global sales of biopharmaceutical drugs (protein, peptides) in ophthalmic applications exceeded $8 billion and is estimated to increase to $35.7 billion by 2025. The growth of the ophthalmic drug market is primarily driven by an increasing aged population suffering from age- and lifestyle-related diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, among others. These diseases cause moderate or complete vision loss, resulting in significant reduction in quality of life. Consequently, innovative approaches for the effective delivery of biopharmaceuticals for the treatment of chronic intraocular diseases are required.Currently, intravitreal injection of drugs is the most acceptable and effective method to treat vitreoretinal diseases. By placing the drug in the posterior eye, it evades the ocular barriers common in topical and systemic delivery, allowing higher drug doses to reach the target site. However, treatments require frequent injections to maintain adequate intraocular concentration, which are invasive, increase the risk of adverse effects and pose significant treatment burden on patients and healthcare providers. Thus, alternative ways to deliver these drugs that require less frequent administration need to be developed. Light4Sight aims to develop a novel delivery platform consisting of self-assembling nanocarriers incorporating therapeutic peptides and suspended within a light-sensitive supramolecular hydrogel. The hydrogel can be injected in the vitreous and release of nanocarriers be activated through the irradiation of visible light. This approach provides several benefits: 1) minimizes the use of repeated injections reducing treatment burden; 2) reduces burst release of the nanocarriers avoiding potential dose related toxicity; 3) on-demand release to match patient needs; 4) allows high drug loading for long-term therapy; 5) protects peptide drugs from rapid clearance in the vitreous increasing their half-life.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

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Data: CORDIS, © European Union