IMMUNOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF UVEITIS - NEW TARGETS FOR IMMUNOMODULATION

The uvea consists of the choroid, ciliary body, and iris, and inflamma tion of the uveal tract is termed uveitis. Nevertheless, uveitis is co mmonly used to more generally describe intraocular inflammation involv ing not only the uvea, but also the retina, vitreous, and sclera. Fift y years ago, infectious organisms such as syphilis and tuberculosis we re thought to be the cause of most forms of uveitis.(1) Since that tim e, many causes of uveitis have been described as infectious and noninf ectious. Scientists have shown that the immune response plays a critic al role in the development of infectious and noninfectious forms of th e disease. With a more detailed understanding of the immune mechanisms leading to the development of uveitis, we are now able to develop new therapeutic approaches based on targeting various components of the i mmune response.