The sclera uses unknown mechanisms to match the eye’s axial length to its optics during development, producing eyes with good focus (emmetropia). A myopic eye is too long for its own optics. We propose a multi-scale computational model to simulate eye development based on the assumption that scleral growth is controlled by genetic factors while scleral remodeling is driven by genetic factors and the eye’s refractive error. We define growth as a mechanism that changes the tissue volume and mass while remodeling involves internal micro-deformations that are volume-preserving at the macro-scale. The model was fitted against longitudinal refractive measurements in tree shrews of different ages and exposed to three different visual conditions: (i) normal development; (ii) negative lens wear to induce myopia; and (iii) recovery from myopia by removing the negative lens. The model was able to replicate the age- and vision-dependent response of the tree shrew experiments. Scleral growth ceased at younger age than scleral remodeling. The remodeling rate decreased as the eye emmetropized but increased at any age when a negative lens was put on. The predictive power of the model was investigated by calculating the susceptibility to scleral remodeling and the response to form deprivation myopia in tree shrews. Both predictions were in good agreement with experimental data that were not used to fit the model. We propose the first model that distinguishes scleral growth from remodeling. The good agreement of our results with experimental data supports the notion that scleral growth and scleral remodeling are two independently controlled mechanisms during eye development.

中文翻译：

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眼睛发育过程中树鼩巩膜的视觉引导重塑和年龄依赖性生长和晶状体诱发近视的多尺度建模

巩膜在发育过程中使用未知机制将眼睛的轴向长度与其光学相匹配，从而产生具有良好焦点的眼睛（正视）。近视眼对于它自己的光学系统来说太长了。我们提出了一种多尺度计算模型来模拟眼睛发育，其假设是巩膜生长受遗传因素控制，而巩膜重塑受遗传因素和眼睛屈光不正驱动。我们将生长定义为一种改变组织体积和质量的机制，而重塑涉及在宏观尺度上保持体积的内部微变形。该模型与不同年龄和暴露于三种不同视觉条件的树鼩的纵向屈光测量值相匹配：(i) 正常发育；(ii) 负镜片佩戴诱发近视；(iii) 通过移除负透镜从近视中恢复。该模型能够复制树鼩实验的年龄和视力相关反应。巩膜生长在比巩膜重塑年轻时停止。随着眼睛的正视化，重塑率下降，但在任何年龄戴负透镜时都会增加。通过计算树鼩对巩膜重塑的易感性和对形成剥夺性近视的反应来研究该模型的预测能力。两种预测都与未用于拟合模型的实验数据非常吻合。我们提出了第一个区分巩膜生长与重塑的模型。