Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (785 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A ring of tissue extending from the scleral spur to the ora serrata of the retina. It consists of the uveal portion and the epithelial portion. The ciliary muscle is in the uveal portion and the ciliary processes are in the epithelial portion.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Bodies, Ciliary; Body, Ciliary; Ciliary Bodies; Corpus Ciliare; Ciliare, Corpus; Ciliares, Corpus; Corpus Ciliares; Corpus Ciliaris.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Anterior Eye Segment; Uvea
- See also
- Trabeculectomy
Related concepts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 8,791 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Ciliary Body” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 629 of them (7.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 5,757 records.
Reviews account for 429 records (4.9%) and meta-analyses for 13. Randomized controlled trials number 72 (0.8%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 5,757 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,395 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,010 |
| 2020 onward | 629 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 429 | 4.9% |
| Meta-analyses | 13 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 72 | 0.8% |
Method: PubMed query "Ciliary Body"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Therapy for Glaucoma by Ciliary Body Aquaporin 1 Disruption Using CRISPR-Cas9 | 2020 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 67 | cc by PMID 31981492 · DOI · PMC7054720 |
| Investigation on Ciliary Functionality of Different Airway Epithelial Cell Lines in Three-Dimensional Cell Culture | 2020 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 37 | cc by PMID 31696788 · DOI · PMC7187987 |
| Transient ciliochoroidal detachment after 360-degree suture trabeculotomy ab interno for open-angle glaucoma: 12-month follow-up | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 27 | cc by PMID 30792522 · DOI · PMC6707293 |
| Sustained Plus Lens Defocus Alters Retinal Responses and Ciliary Muscle Morphology In Myopes and Near-emmetropes | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42603846 · DOI · PMC13545038 |
Gene Therapy for Glaucoma by Ciliary Body Aquaporin 1 Disruption Using CRISPR-Cas9 [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Glaucoma is a common cause of blindness, yet current therapeutic options are imperfect.
- Closing excerpt
- Clinical translation of this approach to patients with glaucoma may permit long-term reduction of IOP following a single injection.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (150 words)
Glaucoma is a common cause of blindness, yet current therapeutic options are imperfect. Clinical trials have invariably shown that reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) regardless of disease subtype prevents visual loss. Reducing ciliary body aqueous humor production can lower IOP, and the adeno-associated virus ShH10 serotype was identified as able to transduce mouse ciliary body epithelium following intravitreal injection. Using ShH10 to deliver a single vector CRISPR-Cas9 system disrupting Aquaporin 1 resulted in reduced IOP in treated eyes (10.4 ± 2.4 mmHg) compared with control (13.2 ± 2.0 mmHg) or non-injected eyes (13.1 ± 2.8 mmHg; p 2) compared with untreated eyes (25 ± 5/mm2; p < 0.01). ShH10 could transduce human ciliary body from post-mortem donor eyes in ex vivo culture with indel formation detectable in the Aquaporin 1 locus. Clinical translation of this approach to patients with glaucoma may permit long-term reduction of IOP following a single injection.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31981492 · DOI · PMC7054720
Investigation on Ciliary Functionality of Different Airway Epithelial Cell Lines in Three-Dimensional Cell Culture [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Three-dimensional respiratory tissue models have been generated using, for example, human primary airway epithelial cells (hAEC) or respective cell lines.
- Closing excerpt
- To further search for an alternative to primary respiratory cells, investigations on other cell lines should be conducted or even new cell lines have to be generated.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (187 words)
Three-dimensional respiratory tissue models have been generated using, for example, human primary airway epithelial cells (hAEC) or respective cell lines. To investigate ciliopathies, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia, the presence of functional kinocilia in vitro is an essential prerequisite. Since access to hAEC of healthy donors is limited, we aimed to identify a respiratory epithelial cell line that is capable to display functional kinocilia on at least 60% of the apical surface. Thus, we cultured four different human respiratory cell lines with human primary airway fibroblasts under airlift conditions, characterized the morphology, and analyzed ciliary function. Only one of the tested cell lines showed beating kinocilia; however, Bordetella pertussis infection in vitro, three-dimensional respiratory tissue models with functional kinocilia covering at least 60% of the model's surface are mandatory. We cultured four respiratory cell lines on a fibroblast-loaded biological scaffold and showed that none of them met this requirement. In contrast, primary airway cell-derived models sufficiently reflected the mucociliary phenotype. To further search for an alternative to primary respiratory cells, investigations on other cell lines should be conducted or even new cell lines have to be generated.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31696788 · DOI · PMC7187987
Transient ciliochoroidal detachment after 360-degree suture trabeculotomy ab interno for open-angle glaucoma: 12-month follow-up [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- ObjectivesTo investigate the effects of ciliochoroidal detachment (CCD) after 360-degree suture trabeculotomy ab interno (360S-LOT ab interno) on intraocular pressure (IOP) and postoperative complications during a 12-month follow-up.
- Closing excerpt
- Postoperative CCD had no effect on the later IOP, the number of medications and postoperative complications throughout 12-month of follow-up.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (217 words)
ObjectivesTo investigate the effects of ciliochoroidal detachment (CCD) after 360-degree suture trabeculotomy ab interno (360S-LOT ab interno) on intraocular pressure (IOP) and postoperative complications during a 12-month follow-up.MethodsWe prospectively examined 44 eyes of 44 patients for 12 months after 360S-LOT ab interno surgery. Inclusion criteria were open-angle glaucoma including primary open-angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, and exfoliation glaucoma without previous glaucoma surgeries. CCD was detected by swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Outcome measures were the course of IOP, the number of medications, and the postoperative complications of the CCD group compared with those of the non-CCD group.ResultsCCD appeared in 21 eyes (47.7%) within postoperative day 7 and disappeared within postoperative month 1 in 19 of 21 eyes. Although the IOP on postoperative day 1 in the CCD group (11.9 ± 7.7 mmHg) was significantly lower than that in the non-CCD group (19.2 ± 12.8 mmHg) (P = 0.020), the difference in the postoperative IOP between the groups decreased with time. No significant difference was seen in the number of medications and postoperative complications.ConclusionsCCD occurred in approximately half of patients after 360S-LOT ab interno and may have the transient effect of lowering the IOP immediately after surgery. Postoperative CCD had no effect on the later IOP, the number of medications and postoperative complications throughout 12-month of follow-up.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30792522 · DOI · PMC6707293
Sustained Plus Lens Defocus Alters Retinal Responses and Ciliary Muscle Morphology In Myopes and Near-emmetropes [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- PurposeThe origin of myopia is multifactorial, with nearwork as one possible risk factor.
- Closing excerpt
- Paediatric trials are required to assess whether these acute physiological responses following fixed-sequence defocus exposure relate to ocular growth signals, myopia progression or optical treatment response.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (231 words)
PurposeThe origin of myopia is multifactorial, with nearwork as one possible risk factor. Spectacles with peripheral positive defocus aim to inhibit further ocular elongation. However, myopic eyes of young adults were found to become longer with positive defocus. Additionally, they showed reduced ability to use chromatic cues for detecting the retinal defocus sign. Possible underlying retinal differences to non-myopes are yet to be determined.MethodsThe ciliary muscle (CM) was imaged in near-emmetropes and myopes (18-30 years of age) using optical coherence tomography after consecutively watching a movie for 30 min (i) in focus and (ii) with +3.00 D lenses, to assess possible interactions of defocus with accommodation. After a 2-h break, long flash electroretinograms (ERG) were measured after clear and defocused viewing. ERG b- and d-waves served as proxies to evaluate retinal ON- and OFF-responses. At a separate visit for a subgroup, the ERG experiment was exploratively repeated under red-light restriction.ResultsB-wave amplitudes were reduced (-4.74 µV) and delayed (+0.30 ms, both p ConclusionsSustained positive defocus reduced physiological proxies for retinal ON activity irrespective of the refractive error. After defocus exposure, the CM of myopes reacted similarly to after sustained nearwork, as found previously. Altered OFF-response proxies in myopes after blur could point to modified retinal processing. Paediatric trials are required to assess whether these acute physiological responses following fixed-sequence defocus exposure relate to ocular growth signals, myopia progression or optical treatment response.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42603846 · DOI · PMC13545038
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The regulation of trabecular meshwork and ciliary muscle contractility [5]
- Research article Effects of prostaglandins on the aqueous humor outflow pathways [6]
- Research article Ciliochoroidal detachment [7]
- Research article Management of posterior uveal melanoma [8]
- Research article New perspectives in aqueous humor secretion and in glaucoma: the ciliary body as a multifunctional neuroendocrine gland [9]
- Research article Update on results and complications of cyclophotocoagulation [10]
References
- Wu J, Bell OH, Copland DA, Young A, Pooley JR, Maswood R, et al.. Gene Therapy for Glaucoma by Ciliary Body Aquaporin 1 Disruption Using CRISPR-Cas9. . 2020. PMID 31981492 · DOI · PMC7054720
- Lodes N, Seidensticker K, Perniss A, Nietzer S, Oberwinkler H, May T, et al.. Investigation on Ciliary Functionality of Different Airway Epithelial Cell Lines in Three-Dimensional Cell Culture. . 2020. PMID 31696788 · DOI · PMC7187987
- Sato T, Kawaji T, Hirata A. Transient ciliochoroidal detachment after 360-degree suture trabeculotomy ab interno for open-angle glaucoma: 12-month follow-up. . 2019. PMID 30792522 · DOI · PMC6707293
- Wagner S, Sommer C, Häupler S, Woll K, Strasser T. Sustained Plus Lens Defocus Alters Retinal Responses and Ciliary Muscle Morphology In Myopes and Near-emmetropes. . 2026. PMID 42603846 · DOI · PMC13545038
- Wiederholt M, Thieme H, Stumpff F. The regulation of trabecular meshwork and ciliary muscle contractility. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2000. PMID 10749378 · DOI
- Weinreb RN, Toris CB, Gabelt BT, Lindsey JD, Kaufman PL. Effects of prostaglandins on the aqueous humor outflow pathways. Surv Ophthalmol. 2002. PMID 12204701 · DOI
- Brubaker RF, Pederson JE. Ciliochoroidal detachment. Surv Ophthalmol. 1983. PMID 6407132 · DOI
- Shields JA, Shields CL, Donoso LA. Management of posterior uveal melanoma. Surv Ophthalmol. 1991. PMID 1776122 · DOI
- Coca-Prados M, Escribano J. New perspectives in aqueous humor secretion and in glaucoma: the ciliary body as a multifunctional neuroendocrine gland. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2007. PMID 17321191 · DOI
- Ishida K. Update on results and complications of cyclophotocoagulation. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2013. PMID 23313903 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.