Scientists have identified a gene linked to improved healing of the cornea in mouse models of dry eye disease (DED). The finding could lead to new treatments for the condition.

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, US, identified differences in gene expression in the corneas of mice with DED compared with healthy and ageing mice, as well as those with a model of diabetes (Lin et al, 2023). In particular, they found that a gene called SPARC is activated in mice with DED.