Animal models of dry eye disease: Useful, varied and evolving (Review)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Animal models of dry eye disease: Useful, varied and evolving (Review) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Dec;22(6):1394. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10830. Epub 2021 Oct 1. ABSTRACT Dry eye disease (DED), which is a prevalent disease that still lacks successful treatment options, remains a major challenge in ophthalmology. Multiple animal models of DED have been used to decipher its pathophysiology and to develop novel treatments. These models use mice, rats, rabbits, cats, dogs and non-human primates. Each model assesses aspects of DED by focusing on elements of the lacrimal functional unit, which controls the homeostasis of the tear film. The present review outlines representative DED animal models and assesses their contribution to the study of DED. Murine models are the most extensively used, followed by rabbit models; the latter offer the advantage of larger eyes, a favorable biochemical profile for drug studies, experimental ease and relatively low cost, contrasting with non-human primates, which, although closer to hum ans, are not as accessible and are expensive. No comprehensive 'ideal' animal model encompassing all aspects of human DED exists nor is it feasible. Investigators often choose an animal model based on their experimental needs and the following four features of a given model: The size of the eye, its biochemical composition, the available research reagents and cost. As research efforts in DED expand, more refined animal models are needed to supplement the enormous contribution made to date by existing models. PMID:34650642 | PMC:PMC8506913 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10830 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.