The eye is a very important, yet sensitive organ, presenting complex anatomy. To overcome its protective mechanisms, with the aim of improving drug delivery, drug encapsulation in nanocarriers is considered in this review. Chitosan is found to be an excellent drug carrier and its application in ophthalmology is being extensively researched. This mucoadhesive biopolymer can protect the encapsulated molecule, optimize its mode of action and minimize any existent risk. Moreover, chitosan and its derivatives may provide advantageous properties to the system such as thermoresponsivity and pH dependency. Finally, dual systems of chitosan with other carriers, such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) and alginate, are also mentioned in this review, as they may offer additional benefits such as higher permeation due to different interaction of each carrier with the corneal layers.
Keywords: combined nanocarriers; dual systems; modified chitosan nanoparticles; ophthalmic drug delivery; sustained release.