AIIMS explores milk-protein tablet as natural remedy for dry eyes

Bolstered by encouraging trial results, researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, are moving to commercialise a tablet made from milk protein to treat dry eye disease, a condition now increasingly common across age groups.

The tablet, developed using lactoferrin – an iron-binding protein derived from cow colostrum – has been tested in patients who developed acute dry eye following eye surgery, with many showing clear improvement after treatment.

Colostrum, the first milk produced by mammals after giving birth, is highly nutrient-dense and rich in bioactive compounds.

Dr Sujata Sharma, a structural biologist and professor of biophysics who co-led the project, told India Today that AIIMS had partnered with a Japanese company to develop the lactoferrin-based tablets. A research paper detailing the clinical trial is currently under review for publication in a scientific journal.

According to Dr Sharma, the therapy’s key advantages lie in its safety profile, ease of adherence, and potential affordability. “It is nature’s cure for dry eyes, without any side effects,” she said.

Dry eye disease occurs when tears fail to provide adequate lubrication to the eyes, either due to insufficient production or poor quality. This instability can lead to inflammation and damage to the eye’s surface, causing symptoms such as strain, redness and irritation.

Dr Sharma noted that prolonged screen use is a major contributor, as it can reduce blinking by up to 50 per cent or more, triggering digital eye strain. Patients undergoing eye procedures such as cataract or LASIK surgery are also particularly vulnerable to acute dry



eye.

Current treatment options largely rely on lubricating eye drops, which offer only temporary relief, and in some cases steroids, which may carry side effects. In contrast, researchers say lactoferrin-based therapy has shown strong efficacy and safety in early trials.

At AIIMS’s RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, around 200 patients were administered 250 mg of lactoferrin twice daily for three months as part of the trial led by senior ophthalmologist Dr Namrata Sharma. The results indicated improved tear production and quality, along with restoration of natural eye moisture.

BENEFITS OF LACTOFERRIN

Lactoferrin is a naturally occurring protein known to support immunity, aid healing and reduce oxidative stress. It is found in various body fluids, including tears, lung secretions and synovial fluid, but is especially abundant in the milk of mammals, including humans.

The compound has been granted “Generally Recognised As Safe” (GRAS) status by the US Food and Drug Administration.

While AIIMS researchers initially explored deriving lactoferrin from human breast milk, the approach proved unviable due to limited availability of human colostrum and ethical constraints.

Cow colostrum, however, emerged as an accessible and equally effective alternative.

Scientists are also investigating other therapeutic applications of lactoferrin, including its potential role in treating anaemia, a condition widely prevalent among Indian women and adolescent girls.

Following promising results in dry eye treatment, researchers are now optimistic that, with regulatory approvals and industry partnerships, the drug could soon reach the market.