Immunology And Immunopathology Of The Eye

This text examines the status of ocular immunology, with a mixture of clinical and basic research information. It should be clear to the reader that ocular immunology's various models for organ specific immune responses are adept at yielding information useful to all in immunology.

Organized around the following seven themes: animal models, molecular biology, allergy, immunotherapy, cytokines, infection and general ocular immunology - the present volume constitutes a selection of the many interesting papers and review articles presented at the 5th International Symposium on the Immunology and Immunopathology of the Eye . Containing the most up-to-date and interesting information, this book will serve as a valuable reference source for both active researchers and students in the field of ophthalmology, immunology, and immunopathology.

This selection of articles from the Encyclopedia of the Eye provides a comprehensive overview of immunological features, diseases and inflammation of the eye and its support structures and organs. Rather than taking an immunological focus that is strictly suitable for clinicians, the volume offers a considerable basic science background and addresses a broad range of topics - the immune system of the eye, its various disorders, mechanisms of inflammation of the eye and visual system, treatment, wound healing mechanisms, stem cells, and more. The first single volume to integrate comparative studies into a comprehensive resource on the neuroscience of ocular immunology Chapters are carefully selected from the Encyclopedia of the Eye by the world's leading vision researchers The best researchers in the field provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results

The eye can become involved in immune-mediated diseases that affect it alone or as part of a multi-organ disease process. Much immunological attention has been focused on other organs affected by these processes and the subject of the immunology of eye diseases is a relatively new one. Many of these diseases that involve the eye are not life-threatening but can result in devastat ing loss of sight that if bilateral, will have major effects on the patient's life. Systemic immunological investigations are generally unhelpful in these patients and one of the major problems in this field has been the lack of diseased tissue available for examination to determine the pathological processes involved. Our poor understanding of basic mechanisms of disease in the eye has meant that treatment of many of these conditions is often inadequate. It has become possible to apply in the eye many ofthe techniques used to investigate the role of the immune system in other systems. Animal models of many of the disease processes have also allowed dissection of the immune response both within and outside the eye. It is my belief that a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which the structures in the eye become damaged will allow more specific and effective therapeutic strategies to be devised.

The innate immune system comprises the cells and mechanisms that are the first line of defence against infection by other organisms. This book provides a comprehensive synopsis of eye diseases, their immunological mechanisms and the role of the immune cells and mediators. Beginning with an introduction to the role of the innate immune system, the following chapters discuss the different types of immune cells in the eye and their role in the etiopathogenesis of various diseases including glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. Edited by Manfred Zierhut, recognised expert from the University of Tuebingen Germany, this book is presented in an easy to read format, enabling practitioners to understand even the most sophisticated eye disorders from an immunological perspective. Key points Comprehensive synopsis of the role of the innate immune system in eye diseases Covers different types of immune cells Edited by internationally recognised specialist in Germany