Millions of Americans have dry eye disease. Individuals plagued by the discomfort, burning, irritation, photophobia, and other symptoms of dry eye disease also have blurred vision, contact lens intolerance, the inability to produce emotional tears, and an increased risk of ocular surface damage and infection. In the United States alone an estimated 2 million Sjogren's Syndrome patients have dysfunctional lacrimal glands and severe dry eye and there is no satisfactory treatment. A bioartificial lacrimal gland would greatly benefit these patients. The new field of tissue engineering has built on the interface between materials science and biocompatibility to create the possibility of developing a bioartificial lacrimal gland. Our three specific aims are: ? ? 1) To identify the optimal biomaterials for use as the substrate for the growth of rabbit lacrimal epithelial cells in a three-dimensional scaffold. ? 2) To test the physiological properties of these bioengineered tissues, including secretory functions and electrophysiological activities. ? 3) To establish strategies and data for the design and development of a bioartifical lacrimal gland as the basis for a BRG grant proposal using the RO1 funding mechanism. ? ? This work will advance our understanding of how lacrimal epithelial cells function in this artificial environment and lead to the development of an RO1 proposal. Ultimately, we envision a bioengineered lacrimal gland system, to be surgically implanted in periocular tissues that will produce sufficient tear flow to maintain the health of the ocular surface. Such a device could relieve the symptoms of millions of dry eye patients; and it could possibly make obsolete the frequent daily use of lubricant eye drops, saving patients the time and effort of medication use and saving millions of dollars annually in the purchase of lubricating eye drops. ? ? ?
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