Study Reveals Differences in Eye Microbiome Key to Treating Dry Eye Disease

The gut, skin, nose and eyes within a human body consist of microbiomes and researchers have been studying them to find their role in diseases like dry eye. In recent years, studies have been conducted where the focus has been on studying the eye microbiome and its role in eye diseases which affect 50% of the world’s population. 

A new study published says that the eye microbiota of healthy eyes and those affected with the disease differ in their mix. Experts say that this discovery might help improve treatment for dry eye disease and others. The eye microbiome refers to the group of bacteria and other microorganisms which are present in the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye. The conjunctiva is a thin clear membrane within the eye which covers the white portion while the cornea is the clear dome-shaped covering for the front eye.  

This research says that when there is dysbiosis within the gut, the pathogenic microbes and their metabolites are transferred within blood streams to reach other human body parts like the eye. Thus the microbes identified within the ocular microbiome might be like the gut microbiome. 

To conduct this study, doctors collected eye samples from 30 volunteer participants using a swab and then performed 16S rRNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. This was done to analyze the contents of eye microbiomes within people with dry eyes vs healthy eyes. Bacteria species Streptococcus and Pedobacter were found as the dominant microbes within the ocular microbiomes of study participants with healthy eyes. However, in participants with dry eye, Acinetobacter was discovered.  

These insights into what exactly might be the root cause of dry eye diseases help to develop novel approaches and treatments leading to better outcomes for individuals. 

Some experts found this study very interesting and said that if they can modify the microbiome of the eye to help people with dry eye, numerous patients can be healed. The research stands as a new hope for millions of people suffering and it can be expected that researchers will soon start finding a cure to this approach to drug use. 

The treatment of dry eye needs to be multifactorial due to the change that occurs in normal bacteria living on the surface of the eye. Previously dry eye conditions have been treated with antibiotics and that itself was quite effective even though researchers could not figure out how. But this study might put the treatments into perspective. 

Ocular microbiome research is emerging fast, and some studies are conducting studies related to other eye diseases. This research will help to understand the gut-eye axis in a better way.