[Albumin eye drops for treatment of ocular surface diseases].

For more than 10 years eye drops made from autologous serum have become an established therapy to support corneal wound healing in ocular surface diseases, such as persistent epithelial defects and dry eye. Serum eye drops can only be dispensed by institutions which have obtained a specific license from the appropriate local authorities and this applies to only a few institutes in Germany. The main protein component of serum is albumin which is commercially available as a quality controlled medical product from the pharmaceutical industry and could thus be used as an alternative to autologous serum eye drops. The wound healing effect of albumin eye drops has already been demonstrated in vitro. Here we outline the therapeutic principles and present our first clinical experiences with eye drops made from albumin in the treatment of ocular surface disorders.