A scientist at the University of Central Florida has helped develop a nanoparticle that apparently helps deliver high concentrations of medicine for treating glaucoma. The tiny size of the particle allows it to penetrate the blood-brain barrier that typically obstructs therapies. Sudipta Seal, an engineering professor with appointments in UCF's Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center and the Nanoscience Technology Center, says that only 1 percent to 3 percent of existing glaucoma therapies actually make it to the eye. Seal's team created a specialized cerium oxide nanoparticle and bound it with a compound that has been shown to block the activity of an enzyme (hCAII) believed to play a central role in causing glaucoma. Nanoparticles would also be less abrasive than complex polymers and this nano approach holds significant promise for use with other therapies.
- see the report on their work