NGF in Dry Eyed Dogs

[kakinda]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

[Alexandra]

Hi Kakinda!

That sounds GREAT! Thanks a lot for posting this!!!!

Take care!!!

(Maybe you should copy paste it, so that lazy ;-) people dont have to click on it to read it)

[kakinda]

Hi Alexandra,
I don't think Rebecca wants the full post on the DEZ and that's understandable (copyright issues).
Epub: 2005 Jan 14.

title: Efficacy of topical nerve growth factor treatment in dogs affected by dry eye.

Authors: Coassin M, Lambiase A, Costa N, De Gregorio A, Sgrulletta R, Sacchetti M, Aloe L, Bonini S.
Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Interdisciplinary Center for Biomedical Research (CIR), University "Campus Bio-Medico" of Rome, Rome, Italy.

If NGF interests you, you may have a look at Keratos website (go to English and then look for research on corneal wound healing in the Neurotrophic corneas' section) or do a google search on NGF.
Drs Aloe and Lambiase have carried out extensive research on this, including in humans for corneal wound healing, and have been very helpful answering some of my questions.

[kakinda]

Partially answering one question by Scott1 to Dr Laktany here

Although there isn't any nerve regrowth drug in the pipeline of the major pharmas or in the US (except possibly the regenerex thing I posted awhile back but it's hard to get any info from them), there are regrowth drugs(actually nerve growth factor - NGF - is one of them along with EGF and other growth factors) under investigation (for DE sometimes but mostly corneal healing). So there has been clinical use of nerve regrowth in severe OSD (particularly neurotrophic corneas -we the happy few!).
If you want to read more about it, do a google search on corneal wound healing, NGF, EGF and SP and really many other and look at Keratos' webpages in both French (you'll find additional references) and English.
go to http://keratos.free.fr: go to English, Neurotrophic corneas, then research on corneal healing, then several options including those above
or if you read French: Pathologies, Neurodystrophie, Recherche sur la re-innervation et cicatrisation cornéenne.
There is some limited pharma activity on this field... including in Germany.
The Italians are the ones who used more extensively in clinical use... check the names of Lambiase and Aloe for instance
For those interested get in touch with me, I may have additional info.

[scott1]

I wonder what results dry eyes caused by contact lens wear would get from a esthesiometer test... and what it would mean for the possibility of NGF curing that.

Something I found in a net search:

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Assess corneal sensitivity. Complete this assessment with a piece of twisted cotton or the corner of a tissue. A Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer is a device that can give a quantitative measurement of corneal sensitivity. It consists of a nylon filament, which can be extended from the device to different lengths and touched to the cornea until it bends or the patient responds. The small diameter of the instrument allows accurate testing of different areas of the cornea. The shorter the length of filament required, the less sensitive the cornea. In one study, only those patients with readings of 2 cm or less developed epithelial sloughing and ulceration.

From http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic106.htm
eMedicine - Keratopathy, Neurotrophic : Article by Robert H Graham, MD
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Also mentioned in this thread:
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=1398

[Alexandra]

Interesting!!!

Topical combination of NGF and DHA increases rabbit corneal nerve regeneration after photorefractive keratectomy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract