Compartmentalized ocular lymphatic system mediates eye-brain immunity. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38418880/)

These scientists wanted to see if there was a connection between the immune system in the eye and the immune system in the brain. They studied how the immune response in the eye could protect against viruses, bacteria, and even tumors in the brain. They found that by giving mice a special kind of immunization directly into the eye, it could help protect them from infections in the brain.

They also discovered that the eye has its own way of draining immune cells to the lymph nodes in the neck, similar to how the brain does. By studying how this drainage system works, they were able to find ways to boost the immune response in the eye and brain.

Overall, their research showed that the eye and the brain have a shared immune system that can work together to fight off diseases. This could lead to new treatments for eye and brain diseases in the future.

Yin X., Zhang S., Lee JH., Dong H., Mourgkos G., Terwilliger G., Kraus A., Geraldo LH., Poulet M., Fischer S., Zhou T., Mohammed FS., Zhou J., Wang Y., Malloy S., Rohner N., Sharma L., Salinas I., Eichmann A., Thomas JL., Saltzman WM., Huttner A., Zeiss C., Ring A., Iwasaki A., Song E. Compartmentalized ocular lymphatic system mediates eye-brain immunity. Nature. 2024 Apr;628(8006):204-211. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07130-8. Epub 2024 Feb 28.