Dry Eye Drug Discovery Service

Creative Biolabs has long been committed to the research of ophthalmology. We are pleased to leverage our extensive experience and advanced platform to provide the best dry eye disease (DED) research services to meet your specific needs.

Overview of DED

DED is a condition in which a person does not have enough tears to lubricate and nourish the eyes. DED is a common and chronic problem, especially in older adults. DED is an umbrella term that covers a range of symptoms and signs associated with impaired ocular lubrication. Traditionally, DED has been divided into two categories, tear-deficient and evaporative. Symptoms of DED mainly include a burning or stinging sensation in the eyes, redness of the eyes, blurred or tired eyesight, and sensitivity to light. Many factors are closely related to DED. DED can be the result of an environmental trigger, or it can be caused by medications. Additionally, eye surgery, computer use, contact lens use, or low humidity conditions may cause DED.

Fig.1 Structures involved in the production of tear film. (Clayton, 2018)

Treatment Strategies

The most widely used therapy for DED is to replace tears with topical artificial tears. However, these traditional remedies simply replace or preserve tears without affecting the underlying disease process. Research into new treatments for DED has grown tremendously in recent years. The most dramatic shift has been to focus on treatments that might reverse the underlying cause. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents are emerging as new avenues for the treatment of DED as they will correct the vicious cycle of inflammation and cell damage on the ocular surface and lacrimal glands. Moreover, the use of biological and biologically derived products, such as serum and plasma, amniotic membrane and naturally occurring glycoproteins, also provides new directions for DED. In addition, scleral lenses have also become a treatment option for DED. Finally, the introduction of intranasal neurostimulators represents a new approach to the treatment of DED and may provide an alternative to traditional eye drop therapy. However, despite the increase in newly available treatments, new and effective treatment options are still needed. Fortunately, several promising drugs are currently in development.

Models of Disease

Understanding the pathogenesis and specific cellular responses involved in different forms of DED could benefit the development of other therapeutic strategies for better management and durable outcomes. The use of cell culture and animal models provides powerful tools for developing new therapeutic strategies.

• Cell culture models

Notably, many studies involving DED and inflammation can be evaluated in cell or tissue culture models. Studies have shown that many inflammatory mediators have been shown in cell or tissue culture models to play critical roles in response to stress such as desiccation or hypertonic exposure, providing evidence for further understanding of the role of inflammation in DED.

• Animal models

Currently, several animal models of dry eye have been used for translational research, each focusing on a different pathophysiological mechanism of DED. Among these models, the lacrimal gland resection model is widely used in dry eye research. Several other dry eye models, such as nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice and specific transgenic models, contribute to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of DED and ideas for developing novel biological treatments. Furthermore, models based on environmental stress and drug toxicity may be advantageous in studying real-world risk factors for DED. However, DED involves complex physiological and immune responses. Therefore, a combination of multiple dry eye animal models may be the best option to study DED.

Services for DED Research

• In Vitro Services
• In Vivo Services
• Ex Vivo Services
• Discovery Services
• Development Services
• Mechanism of Action (MoA) Studies

If you have any difficulties with the DED project, please feel free to contact us for more details.

Reference

1. Clayton, J. A. Dry eye. New England Journal of Medicine. 2018, 378(23): 2212-2223.