Glaucoma is a group of diseases of the eye with damaged optic nerve and retina in advanced stages, possibly leading to blindness. One of the causes is increased intraocular pressure. Here, we present two publications, which investigated the combination of chitosan and curcumin for treatment of glaucoma and cancer patients.

Chitin and Chitosan offer beneficial properties for wound dressing materials, like biocompatibility, biodegradability and haemostatic effects. The biopolymer source influences the properties, processing and associated impurities of the chitin. In this article, we want to present a review, which investigated the differences between crustaceans and fungi derived chitin and chitosan regarding wound healing.

In the current corona pandemic, the protection of medical personnel who have contact with Covid-19 infected patients is important, also to ensure stability of the health care services. The personal protective equipment of hospital staff includes particle filtering respiratory masks. From early 2021, a clinical study will be conducted to investigate the protective effect of a new type of respirator with a filter element containing chitosan nanoparticles in Brazil. More about this study and other current clinical studies with chitosan in this article.

The dry eye disease (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) is a widespread disease that leads to an unstable tear film, ocular discomfort and visual disturbances. As the tear film fails to cover the entire conjunctiva and cornea, chronic inflammation of the ocular surface occurs. Here we present two studies where the use of chitosan-based eye drops improved the treatment of the disease.

Chitosan is a promising drug delivery system for pulmonary applications and is therefore of particular interest for vaccine development in the Corona Pandemic. The biodegradable and biocompatible polymer's mucoadhesive, permeation-increasing and site-/cell-specific properties are useful in this context. Nanocarriers based on various microencapsulation and micro-nano mixing systems have already been developed. The aerodynamic character is important to enable efficient pulmonary aerosol formation and inhalation. In this article we present research on chitosan as pulmonary particulate anti-infective drug carrier.

Humankind has long dreamed of setting foot on the Red Planet. In order to implement the ambitious plans by 2040 and send a manned mission to Mars, new technologies are needed to meet the technical, financial and health challenges. An essential point is the use of resources on Mars.