4 Topic Commentaries

New Immune Target in Dry Eye

New Immune Target in Dry Eye

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  Sandeep Jain, MD

  Ophthalmology — Cornea & Ocular Surface; Ocular Immunology

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  University of Illinois Chicago

  There are currently only two approved drugs to treat dry eye, and they don’t work for everyone, especially those with severe disease, so having a new drug that can treat the disease by targeting a different mechanism, in this case, an autoimmunity, is very important.

  Source
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  Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH

  Ophthalmology — Cornea & Ocular Surface; Ocular Immunology

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  Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts Eye and Ear)

  By selectively targeting the production and expression of IL-7 and IL-15, we may be able to prevent the development of chronic autoimmune disorders.

  Source
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  Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD

  Ophthalmology — Cornea & Ocular Surface; Dry Eye Disease

  •

  Baylor College of Medicine

  We hypothesized that boosting the function of the protective macrophages could reduce inflammation and improve eye health.

  Source
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  Santa Tumminia, PhD

  Vision research; ocular immunology

  •

  National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health

  Immune cells called neutrophils release a web-like material on the surface of the eye to trap bacteria outside of cells. However, in dry eye, this webbing can sometime induce an autoimmune reaction. An NEI clinical trial in dry eye patients demonstrated antibody eyedrops not only reduced biomarkers of inflammation but reduced corneal damage.

  Source