Insights into Meibomian gland function

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Friedrich Paulsen
• Subject Area: Ophthalmology ; Anatomy and Physiology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 439830702

In phase II (years 4-6), three main topics are addressed: (1) Influence of mechanics and mechanotransduction on meibomian glands. (2) Influence of myoepithelial cells and eyelid muscles on meibomian gland function. (3) Generation of a new immortalized meibocyte cell line as another research tool for studying meibomian glands and related diseases such as meibomian gland dysfunction to eventually advance our research towards preclinical and clinical applications. We expect that the methods and knowledge developed in this way will also initiate new studies that were previously not possible: e.g. equipment with pharmacologically modifiable receptor and transporter systems, transferability from mouse to human, new analytical methods such as meibomian gland slice culture, meibomian gland primary culture and establishment of spheroid and organoid cultures as well as a new meibocyte cell line derived from a female donor. The central aim is to investigate the influence of biomechanics, myoepithelial cells and the striated muscles in the eyelid on the function of the meibomian glands. Although the eyelids with the tarsus and the embedded meibomian glands are constantly in motion (rapid eye movements with visible mechanical influence on the eyelids occur even during sleep phases), there have been practically no systematic studies on the influence of mechanics on meibomian gland function. Phase II therefore aims to achieve the following objectives: 1. analyze the occurrence of myoepithelial cells around mouse and human meibomian gland acini and the stimulability of myoepithelial cells by agonists. 2. determination of the presence of mechanosensory ion channels and characterization of the mechanical properties of the tarsus by complex multimodal mechanical analysis of the eyelid and the meibomian glands. 3. 3D visualization of the Riolan muscle of Caucasians in comparison with Asians and investigation of its influence on the lower section of the meibomian gland excretory duct by stimulation in our established slice culture model. 4. generation of a new immortalized meibomian gland epithelial cell line from a female donor as a research tool for further studies on meibomian glands and related disease entities.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants