Murine Biocompatibility Evaluation of an Albumin-Derived Complex and Nanoparticle Delivery System for Ocular Applications.

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the aging population, with no curative treatment currently available. Current therapies primarily target late-stage symptoms and are limited by their frequent and invasive intravitreal (IVT) injections. To address oxidative stress-induced inflammation mechanisms relevant to early retinal degeneration, we developed a heme-bound human serum albumin (heme-albumin) complex designed to transiently induce heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a cytoprotective enzyme with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) were selected as a delivery system due to their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and degrade under oxidative environments. A previous in vitro study demonstrated that heme-albumin-loaded PDA NPs reduce oxidative damage and inflammatory signaling in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. This study evaluates the in vivo biocompatibility of IVT-administered heme-albumin and unloaded PDA NPs as independent components in a murine model. At the tested doses, both components showed minimal cytotoxicity with preservation of retinal structure, establishing biocompatible dosing for future evaluation in retinal disease models.