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Review Article
Volume 1, Article ID: 2026.0002
Esraa B. Abdelazim
esraa.bakri@buc.edu.eg
Menatalla A. Mohamed
menasamy131103@gmail.com
Salma M. Hassab
salmamabrouk96@yahoo.com
Nour O. Ali
nourosama524@gmail.com
Roaa Ibrahim
roaaibrahim5519@gmail.com
Nahla S. Nagy
Nahlasaad552@gmail.com
Rana A. Eissa
Rana.Ahmed@buc.edu.eg
Noura G. Eissa
noura.gamal@buc.edu.eg
Mahmoud Elsabahy
mahmoud.elsabahy@buc.edu.eg
1 Badr University in Cairo Research Center, Badr University in Cairo, Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
2 School of Biotechnology, Badr University in Cairo, Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
3 Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
4 Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut 71515, Egypt
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed
Received: 04 Dec 2025 Accepted: 30 May 2026 Available Online: 31 May 2026
Ocular drug delivery presents significant challenges due to the unique and complex anatomical and physiological barriers of the eye. Among the various types of nanocarriers developed, gold nanoparticles have demonstrated considerable promise in overcoming ocular barriers and delivering incorporated drugs through the cornea and conjunctival epithelia. Gold nanoparticles were extensively investigated for the management and diagnosis of ocular diseases, including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. Due to their low toxicity, biocompatibility, tunable optoelectronic properties, and ease of surface modification, their applications in ophthalmology have increased significantly in recent years. The properties and functionalities of gold nanoparticles are highly dependent on particle size and shape, which can be precisely controlled through various synthesis approaches. The distinctive optical properties, tunable surface plasmon resonance, and biocompatibility of gold nanoparticles could further facilitate their application in ophthalmic imaging. The current minireview provides a comprehensive overview of the therapeutic and diagnostic ocular applications of gold nanoparticles, with a particular focus on how their morphology influences their efficacy in ocular delivery and imaging.
Disclaimer: This is not the final version of the article. Changes may occur when the manuscript is published in its final format.