Modulating neuroinflammation to restore vision

Abstract

Corneal inflammation is a common feature in most diseases of the eye, including rare eye diseases. Specifically, it has a key role in dry eye, infectious keratitis and after surgery. While the immune system was originally considered the master generator of the inflammatory response, the role of the nervous system (both central and peripheral) in regulating immune activation has finally emerged. Specifically, the role of neurotransmitters and neruopeptides in exacerbating, or modulating, the inflammatory response has been described. These recents findings have shed light on novel mechanisms which can be exploited therapeutically for the treatment of blinding ocular diseases, such as aniridia, graft versus host disease, or corneal burns.