RESEARCH ARTICLE


Controlled Release of Bevacizumab Through Nanospheres for Extended Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration



Fengfu Li*, 1, 2, Bernard Hurley 1, 2, Yun Liu 3, Brian Leonard 1, 2, May Griffith 1, 2, 4
1 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H8L6, Canada
2 University of Ottawa Eye Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H8L6, Canada
3 Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, and Department of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, 10 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
4 Integrative Regenerative Medicine Centre, and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, Sweden


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Creative Commons License
© Li et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 40 Ruskin Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y4W7, Canada; Tel: (613) 798-5555, Ext. 19776; Fax: (613) 761-4929; E-mail: fengfuli99@gmail.com


Abstract

Bevacizumab (Avastin®) has been used by ophthalmologists in many countries as an off-label drug for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Due to its short half-life necessitating frequent intravitreal injection, a method for sustained delivery is in need. We demonstrated that bevacizumab could be released in a sustained fashion over 90 days from nano- and microspheres fabricated from poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) and poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(D,L-lactic acid), respectively. The drug release rate could be adjusted by alteration of the drug/polymer ratio. The use of such nano- and microspheres as bevacizumab delivery vehicles may improve the treatment of wet AMD.

Keywords: Bevacizumab, age-related macular degeneration, nanospheres, microspheres, and controlled release.