BRM421 Dry Eye Disease (DED)

About Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ailment in industrialized and aging societies, with complex, multifactorial etiology. The prevalence of this ocular disease varies depending on geographical weather, season, and lifestyle. The global prevalence ranges from 5% to 50%, with females generally having 1.3 to 1.5 times higher prevalence than males. The prevalence among Asian populations is also relatively high and increases rapidly with age.

DED patients are mainly divided into two types: those with insufficient tear secretion and those with excessive evaporation due to the changes in tear film composition, leading to unstable tear film to properly maintain the ocular surface moisture. Both result in ocular dryness, ultimately causing damage and shedding of conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells. This leads to symptoms such as redness, hyperemia, itching, sensitivity to wind and light, blurry vision, stinging, foreign body sensation, viscous discharge, and reflex tear secretion. In severe cases, filamentous adhesions may form due to corneal epithelial breakdown, leading to corneal-conjunctival lesions, visual impairment, and other significant complications, thereby affecting vision, workability, and quality of life.

The tear film is mainly composed of lipids secreted by the meibomian glands, mucin secreted by goblet cells, and water. When tear secretion is insufficient, meibomian gland dysfunction occurs, mucin production decreases, and tear evaporation increases, resulting in damage to ocular surface epithelial cells. This further leads to an inflammatory response mediated by damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), causing secondary damage to ocular surface epithelial cells in a vicious cycle.