Reduction of Artificial Tears and Use of Adjunctive Dry Eye Therapies After Lifitegrast Treatment: Evidence from Clinical and Real-World Studies

Filamentary keratitis: A review

Filamentary keratitis (FK) is a clinical sign of underlying ocular and systemic conditions. FK can cause significant irritation, tearing, and photophobia in the eye. It is a refractory debilitating condition caused by dry eye that affects the day-to-day activities of patients. The etiopathogenesis of FK is not well known; there are numerous predisposing causes. The condition starts as a sub-epithelial or Bowman's membrane dysfunction and leads to the shedding of epithelial cells that take a strand-like form and attach to the cornea. These strands are surrounded by mucin and continue to elongate to become filaments. The filament formation is further aided by the shearing action caused by eyelid movements. Several management approaches, such as addressing the underlying causes of filamentary keratitis, administering copious lubricants, topical corticosteroids, mucolytic agents, bandage contact lenses, punctal plugs, and mechanical removal of filaments are available. The prognosis is fair, and most cases resolve with occasional recurrences. Traditionally FK has been treated with lubricants, mechanical removal, and bandage contact lenses. The newer treatments are topical immunomodulators especially that treat filamentary keratitis associated with aqueous deficient dry eye. The review describes the treatment as well as pathogenesis.

Lacrimal gland regeneration: The unmet challenges and promise for dry eye therapy

DED (Dry eye disease) is a common multifactorial disease of the ocular surface and the tear film. DED has gained attention globally, with millions of people affected.. Although treatment strategies for DED have shifted towards Tear Film Oriented Therapy (TFOT), all the existing strategies fall under standard palliative care when addressed as a long-term goal. Therefore, different approaches have been explored by various groups to uncover alternative treatment strategies that can contribute to a full regeneration of the damaged lacrimal gland. For this, multiple groups have investigated the role of lacrimal gland (LG) cells in DED based on their regenerating, homing, and differentiating capabilities. In this review, we discuss in detail therapeutic mechanisms and regenerative strategies that can potentially be applied for lacrimal gland regeneration as well as their therapeutic applications. This review mainly focuses on Aqueous Deficiency Dry Eye Disease (ADDE) caused by lacrimal gland dysfunction and possible future treatment strategies. The current key findings from cell and tissue-based regenerative therapy modalities that could be utilised to achieve lacrimal gland tissue regeneration are summarized. In addition, this review summarises the available literature from in vitro to in vivo animal studies, their limitations in relation to lacrimal gland regeneration and the possible clinical applications. Finally, current issues and unmet needs of cell-based therapies in providing complete lacrimal gland tissue regeneration are discussed.