Sustained Release of Efficacy-Enhanced Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes via Engineered Punctal Plugs for Ocular Surface Disorders
발표자
이근형 (서울대학교)
연구책임자
이강원 (서울대학교)
공동저자
이근형 (서울대학교), 이강원 (서울대학교)
초록
내용
Ocular surface disorders cause chronic inflammation and vision loss, yet conventional treatments like eye drops provide only short-term relief due to low bioavailability.
This work presents a sustained-release platform based on engineered punctal plugs for the targeted delivery of potency-enhanced stem cell-derived exosomes. To maximize exosome yield and therapeutic efficacy, ocular stem cells were cultured in 3D Wnt-releasing scaffolds. The exosome surfaces were modified with hyaluronic acid (HA) to specifically target CD44-expressing damaged tissues. These high-potency exosomes were then encapsulated within concentration-gradient hydrogels inside hollow PDMS punctal plugs.
By integrating conventional punctal plugs with concentration-gradient hydrogels for controlled drug release, we developed a platform that enables sustained delivery of therapeutic agents to the ocular surface without irritation.