Description of Collaborative Activity: |
The National Eye Institute (NEI) is collaborating with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on uveitis research and on the ocular manifestations of Zika virus and Ebola virus. Uveitis is an autoimmune disease that targets the eye. If left untreated the disease can cause permanent vision loss. Current treatments consist of steroids to suppress the immune system. However, chronic use of these drugs has many side-effects and complications. Recent outbreaks of Ebola virus and Zika virus have highlighted the unique immunological responses to these infections in the “immune privileged” eye. The virus persists in ocular fluids, even after virus is cleared from other parts of the body. |
