The evolving treatment of dry eye

Abstract

Palliative treatments that historically have been the mainstay of therapy for dry eye continue to improve and are still appropriate therapy while we await new advances to control the underlying cause of dry eye disease. The approach of tear supplementation and tear preservation continues to be useful. The goal of tear stimulation or enhancement is elusive, but it may be nearer with the advent of P2Y2 agonists. The recognized importance of inflammation in producing dry eye through lacrimal gland and ocular surface damage is leading us to novel strategies to immunomodulate the disease and to restore hormonal balance to the ocular surface-lacrimal gland homeostatic cycle. It has taken 20 years of investigation to reach this threshold. The next 3 years should see promising treatments approved for dry eye disease.