Can hyaluronan cure dry eye disease?

 

hyaluronan is also called hyaluronic acid.  I have been taking it several years for my joint, and it has improved my problem with dry eyes, although I still have to take artificial tears at night. But I no longer need them during the day.

 

 https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/964744

 

 News Release 14-Sep-2022
Can hyaluronan cure dry eye disease?
Already known to reduce wrinkles, hyaluronan under the microscope at UH College of Optometry
Grant and Award Announcement
University of Houston

 

As you read this are your eyes burning, itchy, tired, dry or red? If so, you may be one of 21 million people in the United States living with dry eye disease (DED). If you don’t have it now, you may soon – the numbers are expected to rise as the population ages, and as anyone who suffers from it can tell you, it will decrease your productivity and reduce your quality of life.  

Unfortunately, treatment options for DED are limited. What is known is that the Meibomian gland undergoes age-related changes that may account for the disease. Clinical studies suggest that 85% of all dry eye cases are caused by some form of Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Meibomian glands are oil glands on the edge of the eyelids; the oil they produce is an important part of the eye's tears, keeping tears from quickly drying.  

Enter a discovery in the lab of Vivien Coulson-Thomas, associate professor of optometry in the University of Houston College of Optometry: an extra cellular matrix or ECM (a network of proteins and other molecules) that surrounds and supports the Meibomian gland and is rich with hyaluronan (HA), a molecule known to protect and lubricate soft tissue. Hyaluronan is widely used for treating numerous conditions, including application around the eyes and into the eyelids in order to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

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