About the Authors

Shigeru Nakamura

Affiliations Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, Research Center, Ophtecs Corporation, Toyooka, Japan

Shigeru Kinoshita

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan

Norihiko Yokoi

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan

Yoko Ogawa

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Michiko Shibuya

Affiliation Research Center, Ophtecs Corporation, Toyooka, Japan

Hideo Nakashima

Affiliations Research Center, Ophtecs Corporation, Toyooka, Japan, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

Ryuji Hisamura

Affiliation Research Center, Ophtecs Corporation, Toyooka, Japan

Toshihiro Imada

Affiliation Research Center, Ophtecs Corporation, Toyooka, Japan

Tomohiro Imagawa

Affiliation Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

Masato Uehara

Affiliation Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

Izumi Shibuya

Affiliation Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

Murat Dogru

Affiliation Johnson & Johnson Ocular Surface Visual Optics Department, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Samantha Ward

Affiliation Johnson & Johnson Ocular Surface Visual Optics Department, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Kazuo Tsubota

tsubota@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: SN SK NY MS HN RH T. Imada MD SW KT. Performed the experiments: MS HN RH T. Imada MD SW. Analyzed the data: SN SK NY MS HN RH T. Imada MD. Wrote the paper: SN SK MD SW KT. Designed the epidemiological study and analyzed the data, and wrote the corresponding part: SK NY MD SW. Performed the clinical portion of the human study and electron microscopy: YO. Performed the pathological analysis of the animal study: T. Imagawa MU. Performed the exocrine analysis of the animal study: IS.