One of the major concerns in any pharmacological treatment is the patients' adherence to medication. However, different types of ocular dosage forms might result in different response and compliance from the patients. This study investigated and compared public willingness on different types of dosage forms available for ocular treatment. The study also evaluated their willingness on new approach for the treatment based on their knowledge, attitude, and perception. This study was conducted between October and December 2017 through a set of questionnaires applied to 90 respondents between the age of 18 and 60 years who lived in Muar and Kuantan, Malaysia. The results were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.0 including inferential and descriptive statistics. There was no significant difference in the knowledge level between all age groups towards different types of dosage forms available; eye drops (P = 0.09), eye ointment (P = 0.252), medicated contact lens (P = 0.05), ocular mini-tablets (P = 0.06), and ocular inserts (P = 0.075). There is a variation of results among the public towards different types of dosage forms with their willingness to try conventional and novel approach. Eye drops show the highest willingness followed by eye ointment (less willingness). However, most of them showed no willingness towards medicated contact lens, ocular mini-tablets, and ocular insert. This research hopes to provide an overview on the development process of new formulation and dosage forms based on the patients' willingness level in an attempt to increase patient compliance.
Scaffolds support and promote the formation of new functional tissues through cellular interactions with living cells. Various types of scaffolds have found their way into biomedical science, particularly in tissue engineering. Scaffolds with a superior tissue regenerative capacity must be biocompatible and biodegradable, and must possess excellent functionality and bioactivity. The different polymers that are used in fabricating scaffolds can influence these parameters. Polysaccharide-based polymers, such as collagen and chitosan, exhibit exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability, while the degradability of synthetic polymers can be improved using chemical modifications. However, these modifications require multiple steps of chemical reactions to be carried out, which could potentially compromise the end product's biosafety. At present, conducting polymers, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS), polyaniline, and polypyrrole, are often incorporated into matrix scaffolds to produce electrically conductive scaffold composites. However, this will reduce the biodegradability rate of scaffolds and, therefore, agitate their biocompatibility. This article discusses the current trends in fabricating electrically conductive scaffolds, and provides some insight regarding how their immunogenicity performance can be interlinked with their physical and biodegradability properties.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, is one of the major microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus (DM). Globally, DR prevalence among DM patients is 25%, and 6% have vision-threatening problems among them. With the higher incidence of DM globally, more DR cases are expected to be seen in the future. In order to comprehend the pathophysiological mechanism of DR in humans and discover potential novel substances for the treatment of DR, investigations are typically conducted using various experimental models. Among the experimental models, in vivo models have contributed significantly to understanding DR pathogenesis. There are several types of in vivo models for DR research, which include chemical-induced, surgical-induced, diet-induced, and genetic models. Similarly, for the in vitro models, there are several cell types that are utilised in DR research, such as retinal endothelial cells, Müller cells, and glial cells. With the advancement of DR research, it is essential to have a comprehensive update on the various experimental models utilised to mimic DR environment. This review provides the update on the in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo models used in DR research, focusing on their features, advantages, and limitations.