Tear Film Dynamics in Healthy and Dry Eyes: New Challenges and Diagnostic Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Dry eye disease (DED) is a growing socioeconomic challenge as DED risk factors are increasingly prevalent: (i) aging of the population, (ii) ubiquitous use of contact lenses, digital displays, air conditioners, cosmetics, medicines, and (iii) exposure to unfavorable ambient conditions. The instability of the precorneal and prelens tear film (TF) (the key DED manifestation) amplifies the vicious cycle at the ocular surface (OS) and the patient’s discomfort and visual impairment. A major milestone for  DED diagnostics and therapy is the implementation of non-(or minimally) invasive techniques (i.e., that does not modify the TF and can be applied by a broad range of health care professionals) for the assessment of the possible root causes behind the TF instability i.e., deficiency in any of the OS constituents (TF lipid and/or mucous layers, OS epithelium), contribution by immunologic or neuropathic inflammatory component, etc. Therefore it is important to critically summarize the up-to-date accomplishments of such approaches: noninvasive evaluation of TF breakup, osmolarity, viscosity, blink-related friction, tear ferning patterns, biomarkers identification via omics methods, etc. In this special issue, we are looking forward to and will be welcoming reviews and research results including new findings in the above fields. 

Dr. Georgi Asenov Georgiev
Dr. Norihiko Yokoi
Guest Editors

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