Adhesive bioactive materials in ocular applications: Toward smart, regenerative, and minimally invasive therapies

TL;DR

This review explores adhesive bioactive materials for eye treatments, focusing on their potential for smart, regenerative, and minimally invasive therapies.

Contribution

The paper introduces a comprehensive synthesis of design strategies and future directions for ocular adhesive bioactive materials.

Findings

Adhesive materials are being developed for sutureless ophthalmic surgery with improved biocompatibility.

Biomimetic design principles enhance integration and therapeutic effectiveness in ocular applications.

Combining adhesives with regenerative therapies enables active tissue regeneration beyond structural support.

Abstract

Ocular adhesive bioactive materials represent a paradigm shift in ophthalmic surgery and tissue repair, offering sutureless solutions with enhanced biocompatibility, reduced complications, and improved clinical outcomes. Designed to function as sealants, defect fillers, and delivery vehicles for drugs or cells, these materials must meet the stringent physiological and optical demands of the ocular environment. They are typically classified by anatomical application (ocular surface vs. fundus) and material origin (natural vs. synthetic), and rely on diverse crosslinking strategies to achieve tailored mechanical and adhesive properties. Current design approaches increasingly embrace biomimetic principles—aiming to replicate the structural and functional characteristics of native ocular tissues—to improve integration and therapeutic effectiveness. Moreover, the combination of adhesive materials with regenerative therapies such as stem cells, and exosomes extends their potential from simple structural support to active tissue regeneration. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of ocular adhesive bioactive materials, outlines major design strategies and applications, and highlights future directions toward personalized and programmable regenerative platforms capable of addressing complex ophthalmic challenges.

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•Integrates adhesion mechanisms, crosslinking strategies, and ocular applications.•Emphasizes repair-synchronized biodegradation and optical/photochemical safety.•Expands from sealants to regenerative scaffolds with drug/cell delivery functions.•Summarizes advances in wet adhesion, hierarchical networks, and microstructuring•Outlines future directions: personalized printing, exosome/stem cell integration.

Integrates adhesion mechanisms, crosslinking strategies, and ocular applications.

Emphasizes repair-synchronized biodegradation and optical/photochemical safety.

Expands from sealants to regenerative scaffolds with drug/cell delivery functions.

Summarizes advances in wet adhesion, hierarchical networks, and microstructuring

Outlines future directions: personalized printing, exosome/stem cell integration.

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