Researchers find if hyaluronan can cure dry eye disease

HOUSTON: Are your eyes burning, itching, worn out, dry, or red while you read this? Well, all these are symptoms of dry eye disease. The prevalence of the disease is predicted to increase as the population ages, and as anyone who has it will attest, it will lower your productivity and lower your quality of life.

There aren't many choices for treating DED, which is unfortunate. It is understood that the Meibomian gland experiences age-related alterations that could be the cause of the illness.

According to clinical investigations, Meibomian gland dysfunction is thought to be the root cause of 85% of all dry eye cases (MGD). The oil produced by meibomian glands, which are located on the border of the eyelids, is a significant component of the eye's tears and prevents the tears from fast drying out.

The extracellular matrix, or ECM, which surrounds and supports the Meibomian gland and is rich in hyaluronan (HA), a molecule known to protect and lubricate soft tissue, was discovered in the lab of Vivien Coulson-Thomas, associate professor of optometry at the University of Houston College of Optometry.

Hyaluronan is frequently used to treat a variety of ailments, including the application of the substance to the area around the eyes and into the eyelids to lessen the appearance of wrinkles.

The National Eye Institute has given Coulson-Thomas a $1.6 million grant to fit the puzzle pieces together and investigate the extracellular matrix of Meibomian glands, the function of hyaluronan, and if an increase in HA in the gland can prevent age-related Meibomian gland failure.

Research findings suggest that an increase in HA expression in and around the MG can sustain viable progenitor cells, which, in turn, inhibits age-related MGD, which is why she thinks it can. Like stem cells, progenitor cells can differentiate into many types of cells.

Additionally, Coulson-Thomas wants to determine whether hyaluronan injections into the eyelids may be used to prevent dry eye disease, which would be a major breakthrough. Similar to BOTOX treatment, this type of treatment necessitates repeated HA doses.

As a result, Coulson-Thomas said, repeated HA treatments into the eyelid have previously been clinically shown to be very well tolerated with few side effects (which are largely linked to the delivery process and not to HA).

Therefore, it would be extremely valuable to look into whether this kind of treatment, which is presently offered in a clinic for cosmetic purposes, might also be utilised to treat a clinically important ailment for which only palliative care is currently provided.