Efficient ocular drug delivery that can overcome the challenges of topical application has been largely pursued. Contact lenses (CLs) may act as light-transparent cornea/sclera bandages for prolonged drug release towards the post-lens tear fluid, if their composition and inner architecture are fitted to the features of the drug molecules. In this review, first the foundations and advantages of using CLs as ocular drug depots are revisited. Then, pros and cons of common strategies to prepare drug-loaded CLs are analyzed on the basis of recent examples, and finally the main section focuses on bioinspired strategies that can overcome some limitations of current designs. Most bioinspired strategies resemble a reverse engineering process to create artificial receptors for the drug inside the CL network by mimicking the human natural binding site of the drug. Related bioinspired strategies are being also tested for designing CLs that elute comfort ingredients mimicking the blinking-associated renewal of eye mucins. Other bioinspired approaches exploit the natural eye variables as stimuli to trigger drug release or take benefit of bio-glues to specifically bind active components to the CL surface. Overall, biomimicking approaches are being revealed as valuable tools to fit the amounts loaded and the release profiles to the therapeutic demands of each pathology. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Biomimetic and bioinspired strategies are remarkable tools for the optimization of drug delivery systems. Translation of the knowledge about how drugs interact with the natural pharmacological receptor and about components and dynamics of anterior eye segment may shed light on the design criteria for obtaining efficient drug-eluting CLs. Current strategies for endowing CLs with controlled drug release performance still require optimization regarding amount loaded, drug retained in the CL structure during storage, regulation of drug release once applied onto the eye, and maintenance of CL physical properties. All these limitations may be addressed through a variety of recently growing bioinspired approaches, which are expected to pave the way of medicated CLs towards the clinics.

中文翻译：

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生物启发的水凝胶，用于洗脱药物的隐形眼镜。

人们一直在寻求可以克服局部应用挑战的有效眼药递送方法。如果隐形眼镜（CL）的成分和内部结构适合药物分子的特征，它们可以充当透明的角膜/巩膜绷带，以延长药物向镜片后泪液的释放。在这篇综述中，首先回顾了使用CLs作为眼药库的基础和优势。然后，在最近的实例的基础上，分析了制备载药CL的常见策略的利弊，最后，主要部分着重于可以克服当前设计某些局限性的生物启发策略。大多数受生物启发的策略类似于逆向工程过程，通过模仿药物的人类天然结合位点在CL网络内为药物创建人工受体。相关的生物启发策略也正在测试中，以设计CL来洗脱模仿眼粘蛋白眨眼相关更新的舒适成分。其他受生物启发的方法利用自然眼变量作为刺激来触发药物释放或利用生物胶将活性成分特异性结合到CL表面。总的来说，仿生方法被揭示为有价值的工具，可以使加载量和释放曲线适合每种病理学的治疗需求。意义声明：仿生和生物启发策略是优化药物输送系统的出色工具。有关药物如何与天然药理学受体相互作用以及有关眼前节的组成和动力学的知识的翻译可能会为获得有效药物洗脱CL的设计标准提供启示。赋予CLs以受控的药物释放性能的当前策略仍需要关于装载量，在储存期间保留在CL结构中的药物，一旦施加到眼睛上就调节药物释放以及维持CL物理性质的优化。所有这些局限性可以通过最近发展起来的各种生物启发方法来解决，这些方法有望为临床上用药的CL铺平道路。