MRI in ocular drug delivery.
Conventional pharmacokinetic methods for studying ocular drug delivery are invasive and cannot be conveniently applied to humans. The advancement of MRI technology has provided new opportunities in ocular drug-delivery research. MRI provides a means to non-invasively and continuously monitor ocular drug-delivery systems with a contrast agent or compound labeled with a contrast agent. It is a useful technique in pharmacokinetic studies, evaluation of drug-delivery methods, and drug-delivery device testing. Although the current status of the technology presents some major challenges to pharmaceutical research using MRI, it has a lot of potential. In the past decade, MRI has been used to examine ocular drug delivery via the subconjunctival route, intravitreal injection, intrascleral injection to the suprachoroidal space, episcleral and intravitreal implants, periocular injections, and ocular iontophoresis. In this review, the advantages and limitations of MRI in the study of ocular drug delivery are discussed. Different MR contrast agents and MRI techniques for ocular drug-delivery research are compared. Ocular drug-delivery studies using MRI are reviewed.
Li
S Kevin
SK
Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA. kevin.li@uc.edu
Lizak
Martin J
MJ
Jeong
Eun-Kee
EK
D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism
D003287:Contrast Media; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations