title: Lipid Nanoparticles for Ocular Gene Delivery.
abstract: Lipids contain hydrocarbons and are the building blocks of cells. Lipids can naturally form themselves into nano-films and nano-structures, micelles, reverse micelles, and liposomes. Micelles or reverse micelles are monolayer structures, whereas liposomes are bilayer structures. Liposomes have been recognized as carriers for drug delivery. Solid lipid nanoparticles and lipoplex (liposome-polycation-DNA complex), also called lipid nanoparticles, are currently used to deliver drugs and genes to ocular tissues. A solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) is typically spherical, and possesses a solid lipid core matrix that can solubilize lipophilic molecules. The lipid nanoparticle, called the liposome protamine/DNA lipoplex (LPD), is electrostatically assembled from cationic liposomes and an anionic protamine-DNA complex. The LPD nanoparticles contain a highly condensed DNA core surrounded by lipid bilayers. SLNs are extensively used to deliver drugs to the cornea. LPD nanoparticles are used to target the retina. Age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy are the most common retinal diseases in humans. There have also been promising results achieved recently with LPD nanoparticles to deliver functional genes and micro RNA to treat retinal diseases. Here, we review recent advances in ocular drug and gene delivery employing lipid nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. yuhong-wang@ouhsc.edu.|Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73014, USA. yuhong-wang@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. ammaji-rajala@ouhsc.edu.|Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73014, USA. ammaji-rajala@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Ammaji
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rajala
authors.affiliation: Dean A. McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. raju-rajala@ouhsc.edu.|Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73014, USA. raju-rajala@ouhsc.edu.|Department of Physiology and Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73014, USA. raju-rajala@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Raju V S
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Rajala
keywords: gene therapy; lipid nanoparticles; liposomes; non-viral vectors; solid lipid nanoparticles