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Open research questions in Ocular Surface and Contact Lens

128 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 355 Ocular Surface and Contact Lens papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The insoluble ability and high molecular weight of FK506 - The need for a safer and more effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of VKC - The limitation of the conventional large-volume sink release model in mimicking the physiological conditions of the tear film

    Dose-Sparing Topical Administration: FK506-Loaded Nano-Micelles Achieve Efficient Therapy in a Murine Model of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to establish in vitro-in vivo correlations (IVIVC) to predict in vivo performance. The development of more advanced nanomicellar delivery systems could lead to improved therapeutic outcomes.

    Dose-Sparing Topical Administration: FK506-Loaded Nano-Micelles Achieve Efficient Therapy in a Murine Model of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis · 2026 · DOI

  • One of the challenges in studying the effects of natural oils and fats on ocular health is the complexity of their composition and the variability of their constituents. Another challenge is the limited availability of comprehensive and systematic studies on the topic. The paper also notes the challenge of interpreting the results of oil-related ocular research due to the influence of various factors, including oil source, composition, extraction, refining, cooking, oxidation, formulation characteristics, administration route, and safety.

    Dietary and Formulation Potential of Natural Oils and Fats in Ocular Health and Disease: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for a comprehensive understanding of the influence of oil source, composition, and other factors on ocular health. The current literature on the topic is limited, with most studies focusing on specific aspects of natural oils and fats. The paper aims to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive review of the available literature.

    Dietary and Formulation Potential of Natural Oils and Fats in Ocular Health and Disease: Mechanisms, Evidence, and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between age and tear film stability in different populations. Research should investigate the factors that contribute to tear film instability in patients with dry eye disease. Studies should examine the effects of environmental factors on tear film stability.

    Reconsidering the Role of Age in Tear Film Instability: Real-World Evidence From a Specialized Dry Eye Clinic · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between age and tear film instability in dry eye disease patients is not well understood. Prior studies have not fully considered the multifactorial nature of dry eye disease.

    Reconsidering the Role of Age in Tear Film Instability: Real-World Evidence From a Specialized Dry Eye Clinic · 2026 · DOI

  • Sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts systemic homeostasis, but how it drives ocular surface disease remains unclear.

    Sleep deprivation disrupts lacrimal gland homeostasis via hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and gut dysbiosis in mice · 2026 · DOI

  • Research has revealed alterations in mucin expression and aberrant glycosylation but many aspects of how these alterations contribute to disease processes remain poorly understood.

    Ocular surface glycocalyx in health and disease · 2025 · DOI

  • Although adaptive immunity and specifically CD4 + T cells play a role in DED pathogenesis, the exact contribution of these cells to corneal epithelial and neural damage remains undetermined.

    CD4 + T cells drive corneal nerve damage but not epitheliopathy in an acute aqueous-deficient dry eye model · 2024 · DOI

  • Tear fluid has emerged as a new source of diagnostic biomarkers, but tear-based diagnostic biomarkers for TED with high efficacy are still lacking.

    Screening of pathologically significant diagnostic biomarkers in tears of thyroid eye disease based on bioinformatic analysis and machine learning · 2024 · DOI

  • One protein frequently upregulated at the ocular surface following tissue damage is galectin-3, but its contribution to corneal nerve regeneration remains unclear.

    Impact of galectin-3 on neurotrophic factor expression by PCR array: potential implications for the human cornea · 2024 · DOI

  • The complexity of dry eye disease. The distinct stage specificity of the pathogenesis and risk factors of dry eye in perimenopausal women. The need for individualized management strategies.

    Focus on sex hormone axis disorder: exploring the susceptibility mechanism of dry eye in perimenopausal women · 2026 · DOI

  • The pathogenesis and risk factors of dry eye in perimenopausal women are not fully understood. The impact of sex hormones on lacrimal glands, cornea, and conjunctiva is not well studied.

    Focus on sex hormone axis disorder: exploring the susceptibility mechanism of dry eye in perimenopausal women · 2026 · DOI

  • examine the possible links between the conditions, - larger, longitudinal investigations to determine the effect of biomechanical differences on refractive measurements, surgical planning, or long-term corneal stability

    Dry Eye Disease: Bridging Systemic Inflammation, Ocular Surface Biology, and Clinical Innovation · 2026 · DOI

  • The links between dry eye disease and other conditions are not well understood. The effects of dry eye disease on refractive measurements, surgical planning, and long-term corneal stability are not well understood.

    Dry Eye Disease: Bridging Systemic Inflammation, Ocular Surface Biology, and Clinical Innovation · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between depression and dry eye disease is not fully understood. The mechanisms underlying the development of dry eye disease in patients with depression are unclear.

    Depression induces ocular surface inflammation and dry eye-like changes in mice · 2026 · DOI

  • further epidemiological studies, - research on the use of SCLs in measuring IOP, glucose levels, and drug release, - enhancing real-time monitoring, sensitivity and stability

    Dry Eye Disease: From Mechanisms to Management and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for further epidemiological studies to understand the prevalence of dry eye disease. The current diagnostic methods have limitations such as invasiveness and variability. There is a need for more effective treatment options for dry eye disease.

    Dry Eye Disease: From Mechanisms to Management and Future Directions · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for cost-effective, accessible adjunct therapies for dry eye. Current treatments for dry eye may not be effective for all individuals. There is a lack of research on the use of yogic visual concentration practices in dry eye management.

    Yoga as a cost-effective adjunct therapy for dry eye: clinical outcomes from a 12-week randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was limited to mild-to-moderate dry eye severity in a specific geographic population. Comparative effectiveness studies are needed to evaluate Jyothi Trataka as an adjunct to standard dry eye therapies (artificial tears, topical cyclosporine, punctal plugs) to define its incremental clinical benefit and role in comprehensive dry eye management across severity levels.

    Yoga as a cost-effective adjunct therapy for dry eye: clinical outcomes from a 12-week randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for a systematic review of the clinical evidence on acupuncture and moxibustion for dry eye disease. There is a lack of standardized evaluation criteria for outcome indicators.

    Evidence map for randomized controlled trials of treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion for dry eye disease · 2026 · DOI

  • thermore, the incomplete reporting of syndrome differentiation may reflect the lack of standardized clinical applica- tion and reporting of TCM syndrome classification in dry eye dis- ease research.

    Evidence map for randomized controlled trials of treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion for dry eye disease · 2026 · DOI

  • The precise diagnosis of MGD based on the intrinsic composition remains unattainable, leading to delayed diagnosis and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. The diagnosis methods of MGD have the problem of subjectivity, lack of specificity, patient discomfort, limited functional correlation, early-stage sensitivity issues, and lack of a gold standard.

    Diagnosis of meibomian gland dysfunction based on spectral convolutional neural network chip · 2026 · DOI

  • Dry eye disease is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. There is a lack of effective treatments for dry eye disease. The study had to control for age and gender as covariates.

    Comparative study of the therapeutic effects of different medications on DM-associated dry eye syndrome after vitrectomy · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of studies comparing the therapeutic effects of ciclosporin and sodium hyaluronate eye drops on diabetes mellitus-associated dry eye syndrome after vitrectomy.

    Comparative study of the therapeutic effects of different medications on DM-associated dry eye syndrome after vitrectomy · 2026 · DOI

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128 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 355 Ocular Surface and Contact Lens papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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