Current Pharmaceutical Therapies for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: From Basic Research to Clinical Practice

ABSTRACT Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is a group of chronic abnormalities of meibomian glands (MGs), which is recognised as the leading cause of evaporative dry eye. MGD is characterised by obstruction of the terminal ducts and/or alterations in the glandular secretion, which culminates in alterations in tear film stability, inflammation and ocular irritation. Lately, several physical therapies have been developed clinically, including warming compress and massage, eyelid hygiene, as well as advanced approaches such as intraductal probing, thermal pulsation and intense pulsed light therapy. Recently, there is increasing awareness regarding the pharmaceutical therapies for MGD, which have shown potential. Here, we summarise current pharmaceutical therapies for MGD from four aspects including ameliorating microenvironment, inhibiting keratinisation, regulating secretory function and therapies targeting stem cells based on basic and clinical research, discuss their applications and limitations, and provide perspectives for future studies in the field.