Unexpectedly, disorders of the cornea and conjunctiva are found to be caused or to be exacerbated, at least in part, by extracellular ATP and P2X7 receptor activation. Therapeutic compositions for topical administration to the eye for the treatment of disorders of the cornea and conjunctiva include an entity that inhibits P2X7 receptor function, reduces the effective concentration of extracellular ATP, or both.
