Ocular Drug Delivery Collection 2016-2021

With the last Ocular Drug Delivery special issue printed in 2016, we felt that it was timely to compile a collection of the most exciting articles published in the field since then. With a large number of articles received in the area over the past 5 years, this collection is only a snapshot of the ever-evolving field of ocular drug delivery, which has gained significant interest over the past decades. Articles in this collection range from reviews relevant to topical drug delivery of antimicrobials and investigations of toroidal vortex-based aerosol delivery as an alternative to conventional eye drops to various nanoparticulate systems developed to enhance topical drug delivery of antimicrobials, anti-inflammatory and IOP-lowering medications. Also included are two articles, in which topical delivery by solid lipid nanoparticles and a hypotonic gel-forming eye drop, respectively, resulted in therapeutically relevant drug concentrations at the back of the eye. Reviews involving the posterior eye segment comprise the use of novel biomaterials for ocular devices and in vitro dissolution models to test such implants. Finally, research articles on computational modelling of intraocular implants and various nanoparticulate delivery systems to treat posterior segment diseases more efficiently are included. In summary, this collection incorporates advances in ocular drug delivery technologies for both anterior and posterior segment delivery, while highlighting the current challenges faced with regards to ocular barriers present as well as suitable models to reliably test such systems. We therefore hope that our readers will find this collection comprehensive and highly resourceful for the development and translation of novel ocular drug delivery systems.