BIOMATERIALS FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY-BASED FORMULATIONS TARGETING OCULAR GENE THERAPY

Gene therapy is a promising tool for the treatment of ocular diseases. Nevertheless, there are some import limitations, especially related to the ocular route and the characteristics of nucleic acids that must be overcome to ensure the success of the therapy. In this context, nanotechnology-based carriers such as nanoemulsions, nanoparticles, dendrimers and liposomes have risen as a promising vehicle for the protection of genetic material for vectoring the target cells. The success of such approach is closely related to the judicious selection of the biomaterial, where chemical structure and intermolecular interactions play a major role. So, this manuscript reviews some of the most important biomaterials, lipid and polymeric origin, employed in the manufacture of nanotechnologic carriers for ocular gene therapy involving interfering RNA (siRNA), antisense oligonucleotide (AS-ON) and plasmid DNA (pDNA).