Carbohydrate Polymers, Polymeric Nano Drugs, and Nanoparticles Are Used for Advanced Drug Delivery and Therapeutics in Ocular Diseases

ABSTRACT Nanotechnology has recently attracted research attention, given its wide applications in biomedicine. Novel nontoxic nano drugs functionalized with carbohydrate polymers are widely used in in vivo bioresearch, but their application to the ocular system remains challenging. Nanostructured materials and nanoparticles functionalized with carbohydrate polymers and other biological macromolecules are clinically used as nano eye drops, incorporated into therapeutic contact lenses, and used as nano wafers and nanofibers. Moreover, they can be used as drug delivery, therapeutic, and bioimaging systems for eye diseases. In this review, nano ophthalmology therapeutic and drug delivery systems based on nanostructured materials and nanoparticles conjugated with carbohydrate polymers were investigated. Meanwhile, increasing the effect of the nano‐drug mucoadhesion by using the polymer complexes and polysaccharides is discussed. The design of pioneering nanomaterials has enabled the development of effective therapies in ophthalmology.