OK, so when is THIS STUFF going to become available??

[Sammy B.]

I stole this off of Rebecca's wonderful daily blog. Sounds awesome. Skip to the conclusions if you're a wimp like me and hate reading about the poor animals who undergo studies for our benefit.....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum

PEDF plus DHA Induces Neuroprotectin D1 Synthesis and Corneal Nerve Regeneration after Experimental Surgery.
Cortina M, He J, Li N, Bazan N, Bazan H.
Ophthalmology, LSU, Chicago, United States.

Purpose: Define whether pigment epithelial-derive growth factor (PEDF) together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhances synthesis of neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) and regeneration of corneal nerves damaged post-surgery.

Methods: A corneal stromal dissection was performed in the left eye of adult New Zealand rabbits treated with DHA+PEDF, PEDF, or DHA for 6 weeks. In vivo confocal images of the corneas were obtained at 2, 4 and 8 weeks and nerve areas quantified. At 8 weeks post-treatment, corneas were stained with tubulin betaIII antibody, and epithelial nerve area, sub-basal and stromal nerve plexus were quantified. At 1 and 2 weeks post-treatment, lipids were extracted from corneas and synthesis of NPD1 was analyzed by mass spectrometry. Epithelial cell density was quantified by confocal microscopy 8 weeks post-surgery.

Results: In vivo confocal images at 2 and 4 weeks post-surgery showed a 2.5-fold increase in corneal nerve area in PEDF+DHA-treated animals, compared with control animals. Increased nerve surface area in epithelia, sub-epithelial and stroma was observed in rabbits treated for 8 weeks with PEDF+DHA. PEDF or DHA alone did not produce a significant increase. NPD1 synthesis peaked at 1 week and was four times higher in PEDF+DHA-treated group, compared with controls.

Conclusions: PEDF+DHA promotes regeneration of corneal nerves. Neurotrophin-mediated NPD1 synthesis is suggested to precede nerve regeneration by demonstration of its accumulation upon addition of DHA and PEDF at earlier time points. Therefore, this signaling mechanism upregulates cornea nerve regeneration and may be targeted in neurotrophic keratitis, dry eye after refractive surgery, and other corneal diseases."

[ringo]

Wooow, that is amazing....thank you and Rebecca for posting.

There is always a nerve signalling disorder involved in corneal disease, especially after surgery and up to now that problem could not be addressed properly with any existing medications as they are targeted either at the inflammation involved or at providing more comfort.

I think there is a lot of promise in this new discovery and it might save many of us.

I have been reading about various discoveries in the last few years since my horrid affliction started, and rarely have they been developed into actual medications. I hope that one goes into clinical trials....and gets approved.

At least I am sure of one thing-- there is a lot of research going on into dry eye-- and a lot of promising treatments on the horizon. There is so much more hope than what there was let's say 15 years ago.

I am ceratin that a cure or cures will be found soon, and we will all benefit.