干眼是泪膜异常导致的以角结膜干燥为主的眼表疾病，重症患者因眼干、视力减退甚至失明而严重影响生活质量。1998年以来，北京大学口腔医学院、基础医学院和首都医科大学北京同仁医院组成联合项目组，开展血管化自体下颌下腺移植治疗重症干眼的基础与临床紧密结合的系列研究，将患者自体下颌下腺游离后移植到颞部，相应血管进行吻合，分泌导管转移到眼眶，用下颌下腺分泌的唾液替代泪液，术后采用多种措施，人工调控移植腺体的分泌，取得了良好的治疗效果。

Severe dry eye is a refractory ophthalmologic disease. Our multidisciplinary research group treated severe dry eye by microvascular autologous transplantation of submandibular gland (SMG) during the past 20 years. The SMG, with its blood vessels and Wharton’s duct, was harvested from the submandibular triangle and transferred to the temporal area. The blood vessels in the SMG were anastomosed with the temporal blood vessels using a microsurgical technique. Then, the distal end of Wharton’s duct was sutured to form an opening in the upper lateral conjunctival fold. The tear was replaced by the secretion of the transplanted SMG to lubricate the ocular surface. In our study, the surgical techniques of blood vessel management were continuously modified to increase the survival rate of the transplanted SMG. A novel surgical modality of partial transplantation of SMG was established to prevent postoperative epiphora. A clinical study with the largest case number in the world was conducted and the effectiveness of transplantation of SMG for severe dry eye was fully confirmed. In order to resolve two main clinical problems including ductal obstruction resulted from low secretion rate during the latent period, and epiphora due to over secretion of the transplanted SMG in the later term of transplantation, the regulation of the secretion mechanism of the normal and transplanted SMG were investigated. New opinions on mechanisms of saliva secretion were provided. Based on the priniciple of translational medicine, the results of related basic research were applied in the clinic. The clinical guidelines for secretion regulation of transplanted SMG were established. A concept of chronic obstructive sialadenitis of transplanted SMG was provided and its diagnostic criteria, diagnostic technique of sialography, and therapeutic regimen were established. As a result, the surgical success rate was obviously elevated, the surgical complications were decreased, and life quality of the patients was greatly improved.