Blepharitis: Future Directions

Rapid advances in the fields of biology, laboratory science, computer science, and bio-data science are changing how we think about the pathophysiology of disease. The NIH Human Microbiome Project is defining how the microbial environment affects human health and disease. Using culture-independent techniques, bacteria, fungi, and viruses that compose the human microbiome have been identified and will further our understanding of how it influences inflammation, auto-immunity, and ocular surface disease. Expanded use of biomarkers are beginning to be employed to detect disease, and to design and monitor new treatments. The effects of human aging on the eyelids, the immune system, and autoimmunity are briefly reviewed, as well as the potential for regenerative medicine to possibly prevent or reverse its detrimental effects.