Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38578377›Full record

ArticleDrug delivery and translational research2025

Manufacturing and characterisation of 3D-printed sustained-release Timolol implants for glaucoma treatment.

Fathima Paleel, Mengqi Qin, Aristides D Tagalakis, Cynthia Yu-Wai-Man, Dimitrios A Lamprou

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug delivery and translational research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Fathima PaleelSchool of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 7BL, Belfast, UK.
Mengqi QinFaculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK.
Aristides D TagalakisDepartment of Biology, Edge Hill University, L39 4QP, Ormskirk, UK.
Cynthia Yu-Wai-ManFaculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK. cynthia.yu-wai-man@kcl.ac.uk.
Dimitrios A LamprouSchool of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 7BL, Belfast, UK. d.lamprou@qub.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-8740-1661
King's College London · GBQueen's University Belfast · GBEdge Hill University · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/T027932/1Medical Research Council T027932/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Timolol maleate (TML) is a beta-blocker drug that is commonly used to lower the intraocular pressure in glaucoma. This study focused on using a 3D printing (3DP) method for the manufacturing of an ocular, implantable, sustained-release drug delivery system (DDS). Polycaprolactone (PCL), and PCL with 5 or 10% TML implants were manufactured using a one-step 3DP process. Their physicochemical characteristics were analysed using light microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) / thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The in vitro drug release was evaluated by UV-spectrophotometry. Finally, the effect of the implants on cell viability in human trabecular meshwork cells was assessed. All the implants showed a smooth surface. Thermal analysis demonstrated that the implants remained thermally stable at the temperatures used for the printing, and FTIR studies showed that there were no significant interactions between PCL and TML. Both concentrations (5 & 10%) of TML achieved sustained release from the implants over the 8-week study period. All implants were non-cytotoxic to human trabecular cells. This study shows proof of concept that 3DP can be used to print biocompatible and personalised ocular implantable sustained-release DDSs for the treatment of glaucoma.

Indexed as

Cell SurvivalDelayed-Action PreparationsDrug ImplantsDrug LiberationGlaucomaPolyestersPrinting, Three-DimensionalTimololCells, CulturedHumansTrabecular MeshworkDelayed-Action PreparationsDrug ImplantspolycaprolactonePolyestersTimolol3D printingDrug-eluting implantsGlaucomaSustained-releaseTimolol

Identifiers

PMID38578377
PMCPMC11614933
OpenAlexW4393993252

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.