TY - JOUR
T1 - Redefining our vision
T2 - an updated guide to the ocular immune system
AU - Wu, Mengliang
AU - Fletcher, Erica L.
AU - Chinnery, Holly R.
AU - Downie, Laura E.
AU - Mueller, Scott N.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Balanced immune responses in the eyes are crucial to preserve vision. The ocular immune system has long been considered distinct, owing to the so-called ‘immune privilege’ of its component tissues. More recently, intravital imaging and transcriptomic techniques have reshaped scientific understanding of the ocular immune landscape, such as revealing the specialization of immune cell populations in the various tissues of the eye. As knowledge of the phenotypes of corneal and retinal immune cells has evolved, links to both the systemic immune system, and the central and peripheral nervous systems, have been identified. Using intravital imaging, T cells have recently been found to reside in, and actively patrol, the healthy human cornea. Disease-associated retinal microglia with links to retinal degeneration have also been identified. This Review provides an updated guide to the ocular immune system, highlighting current knowledge of the immune cells that are present in steady-state and specific diseased ocular tissues, as well as evidence for their relationship to systemic disease. In addition, we discuss emerging intravital imaging techniques that can be used to visualize immune cell morphology and dynamics in living human eyes and how these could be applied to advance understanding of the human immune system.
AB - Balanced immune responses in the eyes are crucial to preserve vision. The ocular immune system has long been considered distinct, owing to the so-called ‘immune privilege’ of its component tissues. More recently, intravital imaging and transcriptomic techniques have reshaped scientific understanding of the ocular immune landscape, such as revealing the specialization of immune cell populations in the various tissues of the eye. As knowledge of the phenotypes of corneal and retinal immune cells has evolved, links to both the systemic immune system, and the central and peripheral nervous systems, have been identified. Using intravital imaging, T cells have recently been found to reside in, and actively patrol, the healthy human cornea. Disease-associated retinal microglia with links to retinal degeneration have also been identified. This Review provides an updated guide to the ocular immune system, highlighting current knowledge of the immune cells that are present in steady-state and specific diseased ocular tissues, as well as evidence for their relationship to systemic disease. In addition, we discuss emerging intravital imaging techniques that can be used to visualize immune cell morphology and dynamics in living human eyes and how these could be applied to advance understanding of the human immune system.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85202766077&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41577-024-01064-y
DO - 10.1038/s41577-024-01064-y
M3 - Review article
C2 - 39215057
AN - SCOPUS:85202766077
SN - 1474-1733
VL - 24
SP - 896
EP - 911
JO - Nature Reviews Immunology
JF - Nature Reviews Immunology
IS - 12
ER -