International Symposium on Ocular Immunology, Inflammation and Transplantation

In September, 2002, the University College of London, England, hosted an international symposium to explore cutting edge topics related to ocular immunology, inflammation, and transplantation. This meeting included scientists from multiple disciplines within vision research, as well as invited participants from fields outside vision research. As part of these scientific activities, NEI convened a section to explore the evidence implicating inflammation, immunity, and infection in multifactorial eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and dry eye. Participants sought to identify common pathways, factors, and processes that contribute to these diseases and to define new directions for future research support to stimulate studies in these areas.

The participants agreed to the following points:

• Vision researchers have made observations implicating inflammation and innate immunity in age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and dry eye. The cells and/or molecules associated with inflammation and innate immune responses have been observed in affected ocular tissues. Causal relationships have not been demonstrated, nor have experiments been designed to test for a causative role.
• Scientists outside vision research have brought forward similar evidence linking inflammation, immunity and infections to the pathogenesis of multifactorial diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease, and cancer.
• Few hypotheses have been advanced to provide a pathogenic rationale for these observations. This is associated with the circumstantial nature of the observations, and the lack of involvement of immunologists in these studies.
• Few animal models have been advanced to study the pathogenesis of these disorders.
• Scientific forums have not successfully brought together experts in diverse disciplines, especially experts in inflammation and immunology, to discuss the reports in the literature and to explore new ideas that might be generated from these observations concerning potential roles for immunity and inflammation in these diseases.
• Funding mechanisms need to encourage collaborative relationships between experts in immunity and inflammation and vision investigators studying these diseases. Such multidisciplinary, collaborative research is essential to rapid progress in this area.
• A series of workshops should examine the recent data in a broad intellectual context. It is imperative to bring together vision researchers who have implicated inflammation and immunity in these diseases; experts in inflammation and immunity; and scientists