The most frequent form of human intraocular inflammation is acute anterior uveitis (AAU) of unknown etiology. The recurrent nature of the disease can lead to permanent visual loss from the secondary complications of cystoid macular edema, posterior subcapsular cataract or glaucoma. Consequently, it is a major cause of visual disability in our society. Until recently, no experimental animal model of AAU existed. In the most widely studied model of autoimmune intraocular inflammation, experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) to various soluble retinal proteins, the retina and choroid are the foci of inflammation not the iris/ciliary body (CB) as in human AAU. We, as well as Brockhuyse and colleagues, have described a new experimental model in the Lewis rat which is induced by immunization with a bovine melanin associated protein derived from the iris/CB and which mimics human AAU. We refer to it as experimental acute anterior uveitis (BAAU). The studies in this proposal are designed to complete the immunologic characterization of the autoimmune model, to identify the pathogenic protein and its immunodominant epitopes, to explore the immunopathogenesis of the disease and to study the efficacy of various treatment approaches. The opportunity to directly study a clinically relevant model of intraocular inflammation is exciting and provides unique possibilities to understand and prevent a disease which is associated with significant morbidity and which can only be treated symptomatically, but not cured.
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