西悉尼大学的研究员兼副教授Tom Millar从最新角度研究了眼睛干燥的问题。他重新检验了天然眼泪的结构和功能，从中找到了新线索，用以研发效果更加持久的人造眼泪。

眼泪可以保护并润滑眼睛的角膜与结膜，使作为我们视觉中介的眼睛晶体更加干净清澈。如果眼泪蒸发的过快，就会造成眼睛的干燥。

Tom Millar教授认为液体眼泪与空气的相互作用对减慢眼泪的蒸发速度起着至关重要的作用。其研究首次显示：在减慢眼泪蒸发的过程中，眼泪表面的蛋白质也起着非常重要的作用。眼泪薄膜上的蛋白质的功能各有不同，它们可以降低眼泪表面的张力，使得眼泪更加稳定。

Millar教授开拓了一条新的研究道路，在14年的血液、汗液以及泪液研究过程中达到了顶峰。-family: 'Times New Roman'">教授表示，此项研究的最终目标是成功制造出人工眼泪，可以与天然眼泪一起来减轻眼睛干燥的痛苦。

原文：

Ground breaking research to end in tears

University of Western Sydney researcher, Associate Professor Tom Millar has approached the problem of dry eyes from a new perspective. He re-examined the structure and function of natural tears to find new clues for creating longer lasting artificial tears.

Tears protect and lubricate the cornea and conjunctiva of the eye and help provide a clear medium through which we see. Dry eyes occur when tears evaporate or break-up too quickly.

Associate Professor Millar, from the School of Natural Sciences, says the interaction between the liquid tear and air holds the key to slowing the 'break-up time' of tears.

Further study by Associate Professor Millar revealed, for the first time, proteins at the surface also played an unexpected role slowing down the break-up rate of tears.

Associate Professor Millar's discovery has opened a whole new avenue of research and is the culmination of 14 years of blood, sweat and literally tears.

Already Associate Professor Millar's research, and tears, has helped to develop a synthetic polymer, which has doubled the tear break-up time in animal trials.

"The ultimate goal is to create effective eye drops which work with your natural tears to give lasting relief from dye eyes," Associate Professor Millar says.

　　相