Abstract
Presentation Description :
As the most common corneal ectasia, keratoconus (KC) is defined as bilateral and asymmetric corneal degeneration with localized corneal thinning and protrusion of the thinned cornea. KC affects approximately 1:400 to 1:2000 people worldwide. KC is the leading cause of corneal transplantation in western countries. It is a complex, multifactorial disorder with contributions from both genetic and environmental factors as well as biomechanical, metabolic, and hormonal factors. This session will provide key insights into corneal Extracellular Vesicles (EV) biology and their impact to KC pathobiology. Broad therapeutic implications and the potential to shift the paradigm on how KC is monitored/treated will also be discussed.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.