Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Dry eye disease is the most common eye problem affecting the Canadian population. Dry eye is a multifactorialdisease leading to a reduction in the tear film and induction of an inflammatory response causing dryness,irritation, burning and pain. There are only a few drugs available on the market to managed dry eye symptoms and they can cause adverse effect when use on the long term. The cannabinoids have shown analgesic andanti-inflammatory efficacy that could benefit to patient with dry eye. Tetra Bio-pharma is a pharmaceuticalcompany specialized in therapeutic cannabinoids. The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy ofcannabinoid-derived drugs in a new rat model of dry eye disease. The first phase of the project will be todevelop a recently described model of dry eye disease in rats induced by lacrimal gland excision. This model is more stable and will be more adapted to our facilities than the model of dry eye disease induced byscopolamine injection. Following the model development, the rats will be treated with eye drops ofcannabinoid-derived drugs. The efficacy of the drug will be evaluated according to tear volume, cornealdamage and immun cell infiltration in the cornea.