South Korean researchers receive KDES awards for dry eye disease studies

Researchers in South Korea have received prestigious honors from the Korean Dry Eye Society (KDES) for significant advancements in understanding and diagnosing dry eye disease.

Professor Na Kyung-sun of Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital was awarded the KDES Best Academic Award for developing advanced sensor technology capable of real-time, precise measurement of Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a key inflammatory marker in tears. This interdisciplinary research, published in ‘ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces’, aims to build a precision diagnostic platform using AI to analyze tear biomarkers and ocular surface images.

Professor Lee Seung-hyun of Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital received the KDES Academic Excellence Award for research published in ‘Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science’. The study identified how macrophages regulate inflammation following corneal damage caused by Ultraviolet B radiation through a process called efferocytosis. By removing dead cells, macrophages help suppress inflammatory signals and maintain the corneal environment, offering potential new therapeutic strategies for dry eye and other ocular surface diseases.