A contact lens delivering a combination of PDRN and DMPC enhances corneal wound healing and alleviates dry eye in a rabbit model

Abstract

Abstract Corneal epithelial defects and dry eye disease are leading causes of ocular morbidity, characterized by epithelial damage, inflammation, and tear film instability that current monotherapies rarely address simultaneously. Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) promotes tissue regeneration and suppresses inflammation, while 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) reduces tear evaporation. We evaluated a contact lens co-delivering PDRN and DMPC (PDRN+DMPC) in two rabbit models: a corneal epithelial wound healing model and a meibomian gland dysfunction–induced dry eye model. In each animal, one eye received a control lens and the contralateral eye a PDRN+DMPC lens worn six hours daily. Outcomes included epithelial defect area, tear break-up time, histology, and gene expression. In the wound model, the PDRN+DMPC lens accelerated re-epithelialization and produced greater epithelial thickness. In the dry eye model, tear break-up time was prolonged, tear osmolarity reduced, and epithelial desquamation decreased. Pro-inflammatory cytokines were selectively suppressed, and membrane-associated mucins (MUC1 and MUC16) were downregulated, whereas the secreted gel-forming mucin MUC5AC, goblet cells, epithelial differentiation markers, and tight junction genes were preserved. Thus, the PDRN+DMPC lens accelerates corneal wound healing, restores tear film homeostasis, and limits inflammation while maintaining protective mucin and barrier components, supporting its potential as a multifunctional therapeutic platform for ocular surface disease.