The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye
Understanding of ocular diseases and the search for their cure have been based on the common assumption that the eye is an immune privileged site, and the consequent conclusion that entry of immune cells to this organ is forbidden. Accordingly, it was assumed that when immune cell entry does occur,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2012.00296/full |
| _version_ | 1811263442566250496 |
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| author | lnbal eBenhar Anat eLondon Michal eSchwartz |
| author_facet | lnbal eBenhar Anat eLondon Michal eSchwartz |
| author_sort | lnbal eBenhar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding of ocular diseases and the search for their cure have been based on the common assumption that the eye is an immune privileged site, and the consequent conclusion that entry of immune cells to this organ is forbidden. Accordingly, it was assumed that when immune cell entry does occur, this reflects an undesired outcome of breached barriers. However, studies spanning more than a decade have demonstrated that acute insults to the retina, or chronic conditions resulting in retinal ganglion cell loss, such as in glaucoma, result in an inferior outcome in immunocompromised mice; likewise, steroidal treatment was found to be detrimental under these conditions. Moreover, even conditions that are associated with inflammation, such as age-related macular degeneration, are not currently believed to require immune suppression for treatment, but rather, are thought to benefit from immune modulation. Here, we propose that the immune privilege of the eye is its ability to enable, upon need, the entry of selected immune cells for its repair and healing, rather than to altogether prevent immune cell entry. The implications for acute and chronic degenerative diseases, as well as for infection and inflammatory diseases, are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T19:45:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-73ef43b299c243eca380b36f8472dea8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T19:45:28Z |
| publishDate | 2012-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-73ef43b299c243eca380b36f8472dea82022-12-22T03:18:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242012-09-01310.3389/fimmu.2012.0029632898The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eyelnbal eBenhar0Anat eLondon1Michal eSchwartz2Weizmann Institute of ScienceWeizmann Institute of ScienceWeizmann Institute of ScienceUnderstanding of ocular diseases and the search for their cure have been based on the common assumption that the eye is an immune privileged site, and the consequent conclusion that entry of immune cells to this organ is forbidden. Accordingly, it was assumed that when immune cell entry does occur, this reflects an undesired outcome of breached barriers. However, studies spanning more than a decade have demonstrated that acute insults to the retina, or chronic conditions resulting in retinal ganglion cell loss, such as in glaucoma, result in an inferior outcome in immunocompromised mice; likewise, steroidal treatment was found to be detrimental under these conditions. Moreover, even conditions that are associated with inflammation, such as age-related macular degeneration, are not currently believed to require immune suppression for treatment, but rather, are thought to benefit from immune modulation. Here, we propose that the immune privilege of the eye is its ability to enable, upon need, the entry of selected immune cells for its repair and healing, rather than to altogether prevent immune cell entry. The implications for acute and chronic degenerative diseases, as well as for infection and inflammatory diseases, are discussed.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2012.00296/fullAutoimmune Diseases of the Nervous SystemCentral Nervous SystemComplement System ProteinsEye DiseasesGlaucomaHomeostasis |
| spellingShingle | lnbal eBenhar Anat eLondon Michal eSchwartz The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye Frontiers in Immunology Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System Central Nervous System Complement System Proteins Eye Diseases Glaucoma Homeostasis |
| title | The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye |
| title_full | The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye |
| title_fullStr | The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye |
| title_full_unstemmed | The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye |
| title_short | The privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs: The case of the eye |
| title_sort | privilege of immunity in immune privileged organs the case of the eye |
| topic | Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System Central Nervous System Complement System Proteins Eye Diseases Glaucoma Homeostasis |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fimmu.2012.00296/full |
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