goblet cells

[dianat]

Rebecca,

I'm not sure where to post this, so we'll just stick it here.

I get nervous when I get too far into the science of all this dry eye biz, even though it's kinda my passion right now. Since you are in touch with a lot of docs and are closely watching the literature, I'm curious if you see any "chatter" about ways to increase goblet cells in the eye. What I'm really getting at is adult stem cell research, I think. Is there an talk out there of treating dry eye (and other debilitating eye problems, for that matter) with adult stem cell procedures?

Is this just too far down the road? I perused the schedule for Madrid and don't believe I saw anything on the topic.

Maybe I'm thinking WAY too far ahead.

Incidentally, I will be responding to you shortly regarding my questions to you earlier this week. I really tired myself out this week on the computer and at various appointments. I do appreciate your time. I hope Atlanta is going well.

D

[Rebecca Petris]

I'm curious if you see any "chatter" about ways to increase goblet cells in the eye. What I'm really getting at is adult stem cell research, I think. Is there an talk out there of treating dry eye (and other debilitating eye problems, for that matter) with adult stem cell procedures?

Hi Diana,

Just going to respond very briefly then I'll post again when I get back home... unfortunately only getting online for about 10min a day right now!

Yes, I think there is increasingly recognition of the importance of goblet cell density in many persistent dry eye cases. The clinical trials Gary Foulks did on Dakrina actually showed an increase in goblet cell density (I don't have the info handy but I believe this was a study on Sjogren's patients). Additionally I have heard from a few doctors who saw presentations by Allergan stating that Restasis is believed to increase goblet cell density.

On the stem cell side... I attended an ocular surface symposium at U of F a few weeks ago and there was a fascinating presentation about limbal stem cell deficiency being caused by large epithelial wounds and resulting in chronic RCEs. I'm trying to get in touch with the scientist who presented this research to find out how they are doing on treatment research.

More when I get home Sunday! We're having a lot of fascinating discussions with doctors about dry eye here at SECO.

[dianat]

Rebecca,

Thanks for your reply! If I weren't so darned uncomfortable, I'd think all this stuff was totally fascinating. I also read the stem cell approach to replacing limbal cells. I was amazed.

I look forward to hearing more about Atlanta.

Diana Telles

[eyecansee]

goblet cells

Someone wrote that they had lasik surgery and they found out that their goblet cells were damaged. I tried to find their thread to post this for them, but I couldn't find it. I saw this portion in a long article on another thread, and I don't know if this will be helpful to them, if they happen to look here:

"* TheraTears (Advanced Vision Research). This hypotonic solution is designed to enhance tear volume and reduce the osmolarity of the tear film. Increased tear osmolarity can potentially induce pathological changes, including loss of conjunctival goblet cells and desquamation of conjunctival epithelium, to the ocular surface.49 Jeffrey Gilbard, M.D., who created TheraTears, suggests that "saturation dosing" with this product can diminish symptoms of dryness and help restore the normal physiology and health of the ocular surface. A study of post-LASIK patients demonstrated that prolonged therapy with TheraTears helped restore normal conjunctival goblet cell density, while treatment with a preservative-free control did not."

[indrep]

Practically any ocular surgery that uses a sepculum(keeps the lids seperated) causes trauma to the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is where most goblet cells are replenished. Goblet cells are responsible for mucin, without mucin there is no interface to hold tears to the ocular surface.

As for limbal cells, many pterygium surgeons know that using limbal cells at the wound of the pterygium surgery speeds healing.

[liz56]

Thanks for raising this issue, Dianat, and, thanks, too, for the information that everyone posted. (Rebecca, your knowledge is astounding!)

I'm going to watch this thread. Thanks, again!

--Liz

[hkgcomet]

I think only the own body can increase cell density.
Inflammation and irrition hurts the cells.
Prevent further hurting eye is only way...

[Aaron77]

The surgeon that did my lasik surgery really jammed the sepculum in hard, I had major bruising in both eyes around the cornea. I remember it hurting the most in my right eye and now this is the eye that seems to be giving me the most problems. I'm thinking that this may be one of the main reasons why my eye hurts so much. 5 1/2 months out of lasik now, I feel that I've improved considerally in the last few months but that I still have a lot of room to go. Hopefully it keeps getting better, much better I hope!

Practically any ocular surgery that uses a sepculum(keeps the lids seperated) causes trauma to the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is where most goblet cells are replenished. Goblet cells are responsible for mucin, without mucin there is no interface to hold tears to the ocular surface.

As for limbal cells, many pterygium surgeons know that using limbal cells at the wound of the pterygium surgery speeds healing.