Recent Progress in Selenium Nanomedicines for Ocular Diseases.

Vision impairment represents a significant and growing global socioeconomic burden. In the elderly population, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are the predominant causes of visual loss. Conventional ophthalmic drug therapies are limited by low bioavailability and dose-related toxicity, highlighting the urgent need for safer and more effective treatments. Selenium (Se), an essential trace element, is critical for antioxidant defense, redox homeostasis, and immune regulation. Although the roles of elemental Se in ocular physiology and diseases are well-documented, its clinical application is constrained by its narrow therapeutic window and poor bioavailability. To overcome these limitations, Se nanoparticles (SeNPs) have emerged as a superior alternative, offering enhanced bioavailability, reduced toxicity, and the capability for targeted drug delivery. Strong preclinical evidence supports the therapeutic potential of Se nanomedicines in models of DR, retinal neovascularization, infectious keratitis, and cataracts. Significantly, the initial stages of clinical translation are in progress, as demonstrated by a pioneering Phase I trial involving CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which has shown both tolerability and improvements in visual function. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of Se-based nanomedicines for ocular diseases, based on a literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. It elucidates how SeNPs uniquely synergize intrinsic multi-mechanistic bioactivities (e.g., antioxidant, anti-angiogenic) with targeted and stimuli-responsive drug delivery, establishing them as versatile nanoplatforms with significant clinical translation potential for complex ocular pathologies. Therefore, further research is essential to optimize their design, elucidate their mechanisms of action, and ultimately facilitate their safe and effective clinical translation.

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  International Journal of Nanomedicine

• Publication date

  2026-02-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Materials Science, Chemistry, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.2147/ijn.s583175PMID 41737035PMCID PMC12927726
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Diabetic Retinopathy (DR): Mechanisms, Current Therapies, and Emerging Strategies

  2025cited by this paper
• Selenium Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Stability and In Vitro Evaluation in Human Lens Epithelial Cells

  2025cited by this paper
• Nanoprobe synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy reveals selenium-rich spherical structure in mouse retinal pigment epithelium

  2025cited by this paper
• Nanomedicine-Based Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Ocular Diseases

  2025cited by this paper
• A selenium nanozyme: Light/mercury dual-enhanced oxidase mimicry for simultaneous ultra-sensitive detection and efficient removal of mercury ions, and superior photocatalytic bacterial disinfection.

  2025cited by this paper
• Therapeutic effects of selenium nanoparticles versus selenium on experimentally induced diabetic retinopathy via modulation of TLR4 / NF-kB P65 / VEGF / connexin 43 signaling

  2025cited by this paper
• Application of Nanomaterials in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Retinal Diseases.

  2025cited by this paper
• Association of serum selenium levels with diabetic retinopathy: NHANES 2011–2016

  2025cited by this paper
• Selenium nanoparticles attenuate retinal pathological angiogenesis by disrupting cell cycle distribution.

  2025cited by this paper
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Accelerating the Discovery and Development of Nanomedicine

  2024cited by this paper
• Efficacy and safety of AZR-MD-001 selenium sulfide ophthalmic ointment in adults with meibomian gland dysfunction over six months of treatment: A Phase 2, vehicle-controlled, randomized extension trial.

  2024cited by this paper
• A comprehensive review on recent advancements in drug delivery via selenium nanoparticles

  2024cited by this paper
• Addressing retinal hypoxia: pathophysiology, therapeutic innovations, and future prospects

  2024cited by this paper
• Association of daily selenium intake and glaucoma: A cross-sectional study

  2024cited by this paper
• The efficacy and safety of selenium supplementation versus placebo in the treatment of Graves' orbitopathy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials

  2024cited by this paper
• Unveiling green synthesis and biomedical theranostic paradigms of selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs)- A State-of-the-Art comprehensive update.

  2024cited by this paper
• Ebselen improves fungal keratitis through exerting anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, and antifungal effects

  2024influential reference
• The Potential of Selenium-Based Therapies for Ocular Oxidative Stress

  2024cited by this paper
• Dietary patterns; serum concentrations of selenium, copper, and zinc; copper/zinc ratio; and total antioxidant status in patients with glaucoma

  2024cited by this paper
• Revolutionizing eye care: the game-changing applications of nano-antioxidants in ophthalmology.

  2024cited by this paper
• Selenium Nanoparticles: A Comprehensive Examination of Synthesis Techniques and Their Diverse Applications in Medical Research and Toxicology Studies

  2024cited by this paper
• Porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres alleviate diabetic retinopathy by inhibiting excess lipid peroxidation and inflammation

  2024cited by this paper
• Selenium Nanoparticles in Protecting the Brain from Stroke: Possible Signaling and Metabolic Mechanisms

  2024cited by this paper
• Highly Effective Corneal Permeability of Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Nano-Formulation Encapsulated Cyclosporine a for Dry Eye Management

  2023cited by this paper
• A tissue-adhesive F127 hydrogel delivers antioxidative copper-selenide nanoparticles for the treatment of dry eye disease.

  2023cited by this paper
• Theranostic applications of selenium nanomedicines against lung cancer

  2023cited by this paper
• Biogenic Selenium Nanoparticles in Biomedical Sciences: Properties, Current Trends, Novel Opportunities and Emerging Challenges in Theranostic Nanomedicine

  2023influential reference
• A Review of the Antibacterial, Fungicidal and Antiviral Properties of Selenium Nanoparticles

  2023cited by this paper
• Efficacy and safety of AZR-MD-001 selenium sulfide ophthalmic ointment in adults with meibomian gland dysfunction: A vehicle-controlled, randomized clinical trial.

  2023cited by this paper
• Immunomodulatory roles of selenium nanoparticles: Novel arts for potential immunotherapy strategy development

  2022cited by this paper
• Ferroptosis and Apoptosis Are Involved in the Formation of L-Selenomethionine-Induced Ocular Defects in Zebrafish Embryos

  2022cited by this paper
• Alleviation of dry eye syndrome with one dose of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and mucoadhesive lysine-carbonized nanogels.

  2022cited by this paper
• Ocular Nanomedicine

  2022influential reference
• Effect of nano-selenium loaded with lycium barbarum polysaccharide on the proliferation of lens epithelial cells after UVB damage in vitro.

  2022cited by this paper
• Rhizobium pusense-Mediated Selenium Nanoparticles–Antibiotics Combinations against Acanthamoeba sp.

  2022cited by this paper
• Plasma and vitreous selenium concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy

  2022cited by this paper
• Association of keratoconus with serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and antioxidant trace elements: A systematic review and meta-analysis

  2022cited by this paper
• Advances in the Study of the Mechanism by Which Selenium and Selenoproteins Boost Immunity to Prevent Food Allergies

  2022cited by this paper
• Intravitreal quantum dots for retinitis pigmentosa: a first-in-human safety study.

  2021cited by this paper
• Involvement of TRPM2 Channel on Hypoxia-Induced Oxidative Injury, Inflammation, and Cell Death in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells: Modulator Action of Selenium Nanoparticles

  2021cited by this paper
• Toxicology of Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery

  2021cited by this paper
• Metabolomics Analyses of Mouse Retinas in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy

  2021cited by this paper
• Selenium nanoparticles with various morphology for antiangiogenesis through bFGF-mediated P13K/AKT signaling pathways

  2021cited by this paper
• Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of oral selenium from organic and inorganic sources: A review.

  2021cited by this paper
• Selenium as a Bioactive Micronutrient in the Human Diet and Its Cancer Chemopreventive Activity

  2021cited by this paper
• Selenium in the Treatment of Graves’ Hyperthyroidism and Eye Disease

  2021cited by this paper
• Association between dietary antioxidants and risk for diabetic retinopathy in a Chinese population

  2020cited by this paper
• Selenium in thyroid disorders — essential knowledge for clinicians

  2020cited by this paper
• N-Acetyl-l-cysteine Enhances the Effect of Selenium Nanoparticles on Cancer Cytotoxicity by Increasing the Production of Selenium-Induced Reactive Oxygen Species

  2020cited by this paper
• Ocular barriers to retinal delivery of intravitreal liposomes: Impact of vitreoretinal interface.

  2020cited by this paper
• Cyclic RGD Peptide Targeting Coated Nano Drug Co-Delivery System for Therapeutic Use in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Disease

  2020cited by this paper
• The role of selenium in cell survival and its correlation with protective effects against cardiovascular disease: A literature review.

  2020cited by this paper
• Oxidative and antioxidative stress markers in keratoconus: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

  2020cited by this paper
• Selenomethionine (Se-Met) Induces the Cystine/Glutamate Exchanger SLC7A11 in Cultured Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) Cells: Implications for Antioxidant Therapy in Aging Retina

  2020cited by this paper
• Elemental concentrations in Choroid-RPE and retina of human eyes with age-related macular degeneration.

  2019cited by this paper
• Concentration of Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Manganese, and Cu/Zn Ratio in Hair of Children and Adolescents with Myopia

  2019cited by this paper
• Oxidative Stress, Ocular Disease and Diabetes Retinopathy.

  2019cited by this paper
• Therapeutic applications of selenium nanoparticles.

  2019cited by this paper
• Selenium nanoparticles are less toxic than inorganic and organic selenium to mice in vivo

  2019cited by this paper
• Comparison of Bioavailability, Pharmacokinetics, and Biotransformation of Selenium-Enriched Yeast and Sodium Selenite in Rats Using Plasma Selenium and Selenomethionine

  2019cited by this paper
• Development of New Pharmaceutical Candidates With Antioxidant Activity for the Treatment of Corneal Disorders.

  2019influential reference
• Nano-selenium and its nanomedicine applications: a critical review

  2018cited by this paper
• Serum Trace Elements Profile in Graves' Disease Patients with or without Orbitopathy in Northeast China

  2018cited by this paper
• Hollow selenium nanoparticles from potato extract and investigation of its biological properties and developmental toxicity in zebrafish embryos.

  2018cited by this paper
• A 2018 European Thyroid Association Survey on the Use of Selenium Supplementation in Graves’ Hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Orbitopathy

  2018cited by this paper
• Aqueous humor selenium level and open-angle glaucoma.

  2018cited by this paper
• Serum selenium levels are associated with age-related cataract.

  2018cited by this paper
• Preparation and antioxidant properties of selenium nanoparticles-loaded chitosan microspheres

  2017cited by this paper
• Organo-Selenium Coatings Inhibit Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacterial Attachment to Ophthalmic Scleral Buckle Material

  2017cited by this paper
• Organoselenium Polymer Inhibits Biofilm Formation in Polypropylene Contact Lens Case Material

  2017cited by this paper
• Selenium nanoparticles as versatile carriers for oral delivery of insulin: Insight into the synergic antidiabetic effect and mechanism.

  2017cited by this paper
• Effects of Chronic Dietary Selenomethionine Exposure on the Visual System of Adult and F1 Generation Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

  2016cited by this paper
• Distribution of selenium in zebrafish larvae after exposure to organic and inorganic selenium forms.

  2016cited by this paper
• Human metabolism and renal excretion of selenium compounds after oral ingestion of sodium selenite and selenized yeast dependent on the trimethylselenium ion (TMSe) status

  2016cited by this paper
• Current Knowledge on the Importance of Selenium in Food for Living Organisms: A Review

  2016influential reference
• RGD peptide-conjugated selenium nanoparticles: antiangiogenesis by suppressing VEGF-VEGFR2-ERK/AKT pathway.

  2016cited by this paper
• Selenium-binding lactoferrin is taken into corneal epithelial cells by a receptor and prevents corneal damage in dry eye model animals

  2016influential reference
• A novel and facile synthesis of porous SiO2-coated ultrasmall Se particles as a drug delivery nanoplatform for efficient synergistic treatment of cancer cells.

  2016cited by this paper
• Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and toxicology of theranostic nanoparticles.

  2015cited by this paper
• Dietary selenium in adjuvant therapy of viral and bacterial infections.

  2015cited by this paper
• Inverse relationship between elemental selenium nanoparticle size and inhibition of cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

  2015cited by this paper
• pH-responsive cancer-targeted selenium nanoparticles: a transformable drug carrier with enhanced theranostic effects.

  2014cited by this paper
• Selenium neurotoxicity in humans: bridging laboratory and epidemiologic studies.

  2014cited by this paper
• Selenoproteins: molecular pathways and physiological roles.

  2014cited by this paper
• Toxic risks and nutritional benefits of traditional diet on near visual contrast sensitivity and color vision in the Brazilian Amazon.

  2013cited by this paper
• Selenium Compound Protects Corneal Epithelium against Oxidative Stress

  2012cited by this paper
• Intravitreal silicon-based quantum dots as neuroprotective factors in a model of retinal photoreceptor degeneration.

  2012cited by this paper
• Selenium and pseudoexfoliation syndrome.

  2011cited by this paper
• Selenium and Mercury in the Brazilian Amazon: Opposing Influences on Age-Related Cataracts

  2010cited by this paper
• Selenoprotein P Controls Oxidative Stress in Cornea

  2010influential reference
• Relationship between glaucoma and selenium levels in plasma and aqueous humour

  2008cited by this paper
• Selenium and Behçet's disease

  2008cited by this paper
• Proteomic surveillance of autoimmunity in Behcet's disease with uveitis: selenium binding protein is a novel autoantigen in Behcet's disease.

  2007cited by this paper
• The Efficacy and Safety of Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement Use To Prevent Cancer and Chronic Disease in Adults: A Systematic Review for a National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference

  2006cited by this paper
• Alterations in human trabecular meshwork cell homeostasis by selenium.

  2006cited by this paper
• Prevention of Bacterial Colonization of Contact Lenses With Covalently Attached Selenium and Effects on the Rabbit Cornea

  2006cited by this paper
• Comparison of short-term toxicity between Nano-Se and selenite in mice.

  2005cited by this paper
• Characterization of Mammalian Selenoproteomes

  2003cited by this paper
• Vitamin C is associated with reduced risk of cataract in a Mediterranean population.

  2002cited by this paper
• [The effect of selenium and vitamin E on the healing process of experimental corneal lesions in the eye of the rabbit].

  1998influential reference

• No citing papers are available for this paper.