Prior studies from our laboratory showed that IFN-γKO mice were resistant to desiccation-induced goblet cell loss and subconjunctival administration of IFN-γ in IFN-γKO mice decreased goblet cell to similar levels as wild-type mice [21], as well as upregulated cornified envelope proteins that also increase in dry eye [4]. Here, ERVW-1 is linked to dry eye syndrome.