Evaluation of nanoformulated therapeutics in an ex-vivo bovine corneal irritation model

Aim : To determine the internalization and protective effects of potential ophthalmic formulations and nanoformulated natural proteins in ex-vivo bovine corneal alkali burn model. Methods : The bovine cornea obtained were subjected to the 0.5 N NaOH insult that induced alkali burn and inflammation as observed in the in vivo situation. The toxic effects of the nanoformulation were evaluated in the normal and insult induced cornea using histological analysis. Internalization studies were carried out using in vivo imaging and analysis (IVIS, PerkinElmer, USA). Results : The nanoformulations employed in this study showed no obvious changes in the integrity of the cornea. Further, improvements in the light transmittance and reduced inflammation were observed. The IVIS showed a dose dependant increase in the uptake of the nanoformulations with time. Conclusion : The nanoformulated bovine lactoferrin and SurR9-C84A (SR9) proteins evaluated in the ex vivo bovine corneal irritation model is the first of its kind, and we report here the non-toxic and therapeutic potential of these formulations for topical applications.