Dry Eyes? Probiotics to the Rescue

A recent Baylor College of Medicine study showcased the potential of oral probiotics in improving dry eye disease. This condition affects many people, causing discomfort, inflammation, and vision issues. Typically, treatments involve eye drops, gels, or ointments. However, this study explored a unique approach using intestinal bacteria, presenting a promising alternative for managing dry eye symptoms. The findings were shared at ASM Microbe 2023, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
An overview on dry eye treatment: approaches for cyclosporin a delivery

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Approximately 1 in 20 People are Affected by Dry Eyes

Dry eye is a prevalent condition affecting many individuals, characterized by insufficient lubrication of the eyes. It leads to discomfort such as stinging, burning, inflammation, and vision issues. Neglected cases can even damage the eye's surface. Typically, treatment involves using eye drops, gels, or ointments. However, a novel approach explores the use of intestinal bacteria for alleviating dry eye symptoms.

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Don't Let Dry Eyes Dampen your Day, Let Probiotics Pave the Way

Presenting author Laura Schaefer, Ph.D., of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, said, “The ‘friendly’ bacteria that live in the human gastrointestinal tract have been linked to health and protection against disease in many parts of the body, including the gut, brain, and lung. It’s therefore not surprising that the gut microbiome also affects our eyes.”

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Eye-Opening Benefits of Probiotics for Dry Eye Relief

Previous work by this research group showed that mice given gut bacteria from human Sjögren syndrome patients with severe dry eye developed worse eye disease under dry conditions than mice that were given gut bacteria from healthy human patients.

This suggests that the gut bacteria from healthy people help to protect the surface of the eye in dry conditions. One possible treatment avenue for dry eye would involve probiotic bacteria that have similar protective effects. The group investigated this by using an orally administered probiotic bacterial strain, Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM17938, in a dry-eye mouse model. DSM17938 is a human-derived, commercially available probiotic bacterial strain that has already demonstrated protective effects in the gut and immune system in humans and mice, but it has not been tested in the context of eye health.

Mice were first treated with antibiotics, which kill many of the “friendly” bacteria living in the gut. They were then exposed to arid conditions and fed daily doses of either probiotic bacteria or a saline solution as a control. After 5 days, the eyes were examined for disease. The mice that were fed the probiotic bacteria had healthier and more intact corneal surfaces. In addition, these mice had more goblet cells in their eye tissue, which are specialized cells that produce mucin, an essential component in tears. These data suggest that the right oral probiotic could help treat and manage dry eye symptoms.

Reference:

1. An overview on dry eye treatment: approaches for cyclosporin a delivery - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22619624/)

Source-Eurekalert