Georgia Savvidou

Nanomedicine is emerging as a groundbreaking strategy for the management of the neuro-visual symptoms of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. This innovative field of study leverages nanoscale materials and technologies to improve drug delivery, enabling targeted treatments to reach the affected ocular tissues. By facilitating the transport of therapeutic agents across the blood–retinal barrier and boosting their bioavailability, nanomedicine holds the potential to significantly mitigate the symptoms of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), etc. This review summarizes the latest developments in nanomedicine applications for the management of these ocular conditions, highlighting their capacity to foster more effective disease diagnosis and treatment.

Nanotechnology is one of the most promising fields of study, and it represents a pioneering leap in science and technology by the precise control over materials at the atomic and molecular level. This transformation affects numerous aspects of modern human life, including medicine, healthcare, electronics, computing, and energy storage. Nanotechnology has shown significant advancements in managing various health problems through different nano-formulations. These engineered nano-systems can be used as drug delivery vehicles, gene therapy vectors, imaging agents, etc. A range of neuro-visual disorders have been identified through the years and found to be associated with malfunctioning the eyes and the nervous system. State-of-the-art nano-formulations are currently being examined for their possible beneficial effects in diagnosing and treating various nervous-related ocular conditions. Nano-emulsions and polymeric hydrogels are efficient drug delivery vehicles of anti-glaucoma drugs. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are extensively being used as magnetic tags for the non-invasive imaging of transplanted cells in patients with optic neuritis and bio-engineered sensors are utilized in neuromyelitis optica diagnosis, though the colorimetric detection of anti-aquaporin-4 antibodies by silver NPs. These are just a few of the most recent advancements in neuro-ophthalmology. This review summarizes the central neuro-ophthalmologic disorders affecting the global healthcare system, emphasizing the utilization of revolutionized nanomedicine-based tools for managing these conditions. Addressing the potential challenges and side effects is critical for the safe and effective integration of nanotechnology in various fields of study, especially in healthcare.