Uveitis: Mechanisms and recent advances in therapy

Uveitis is a sight threatening inflammatory disorder that affects all ages and remains a significant cause of visual loss. Animal models of autoimmune and inflammatory disease in the eye allow the scientist and clinician to study the basic mechanism of the disease, and serve as templates for the development of therapeutic approaches. The accumulating knowledge of the various steps that are involved in the pathogenesis make it possible to devise specific strategies that disrupt discrete stages in the process. Some of the strategies are in the process of being translated to the clinic. New technologies emerge, promising more specific and more easily applied therapies. In this review, we will concentrate specifically on mechanisms and recent advances in the therapy of uveitis.