Research advances in relationship between substance P and neurotrophic keratopathy and its application

Neurotrophic keratopathy is caused by a variety of factors that damage the corneal sensory nerves, resulting in hypoesthesia of cornea, corneal dystrophy and inflammatory changes.The manifestations of neurotrophic keratopathy are recurrent or persistent corneal epithelial defects, delayed corneal wound healing, corneal ulcers and even perforation.There are still some difficulties in therapy targeting to nerve plerosis.Substance P, as a neurotransmitter, is expressed in ophthalmic nerves and many cell types, including corneal epithelial cells, stromal cells and immunological cells, and exerts its biological functions by activating intracellular signaling pathways.Recently, with the increasing researches of substance P, the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy is gradually changing.This paper retrospected the clinical features and pathogenesis of neurotrophic keratopathy, summarized the association between substance P and neurotrophic keratopathy from the perspective of infection, surgery and systemic disease, and the prospects of substance P application in neurotrophic keratopathy.