Advances in drug therapy of meibomian gland dysfunction

Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a chronic, diffuse meibomian gland disorder, which has complex pathogenesis and high prevalence.It has become one of the common ocular surface diseases in clinics, and its treatment has been the clinical research focus and a challenge over the years.The traditional treatments consist of lifestyle improvement, physical therapy, medical treatments and surgery, in which drug plays an important role.According to the etiology and pathogenesis of MGD, the applied drugs can be classified into three categories.The first category is to improve the quality of tears and the stability of tear film, including artificial tear and ocular surface lubricants, secretagogues (promoting the secretion of lipids, aqueous solution and mucin), androgens, etc.The second category is to improve the ocular surface microenvironment, including local and systemic antibiotics, glucocorticoid eyedrops, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants, anti-mites drugs, etc.The third category is nutritional supplements and neuroprotectants, including vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids, autologous serum and so on.This review focused on widely-used and current emerging treatment options, aiming to provide references for clinical treatments and further study on MGD.

Meibomian gland dysfunction; Dry eye; Drug therapy