Comment on "Emerging oligonucleotide therapeutics for the treatment of dry eye diseases": Oligonucleotide therapeutics for dry eye disease: Navigating the road from precision promise to clinical reality

The comprehensive review by Tang et al., titled " Emerging Oligonucleotide Therapeutics for the Treatment of Dry Eye Diseases," is a timely and important contribution to the field of ocular surface medicine. It offers a detailed and insightful overview of a rapidly evolving therapeutic class that includes spanning small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), antisense oligonucleotides, microRNA modulators, and aptamers. These agents hold significant promise for addressing the complex and multifactorial mechanisms underlying dry eye disease (DED). The authors effectively argue that oligonucleotide-based therapies represent a paradigm shift in treatment strategy, transitioning from the current symptomatic and single-pathway approaches toward precise, gene-targeted interventions. However, as we critically evaluate this emerging landscape, it becomes increasingly clear that the success of these therapeutics will not depend solely on molecular innovation. Instead, their clinical impact will hinge on overcoming two major obstacles: the development of efficient, targeted delivery systems and the successful translation of preclinical findings into meaningful clinical outcomes.