The ocular surface is the first line of defence in the eye against environmental microbes. The ocular innate immune system consists of a combination of anatomical, mechanical and immunological defence mechanisms. TLRs (Toll-like receptors), widely expressed by the ocular surface, are able to recognize microbial pathogens and to trigger the earliest immune response leading to inflammation. Increasing evidence highlights the crucial role of TLRs in regulating innate immune responses during ocular surface infective and non-infective inflammatory conditions. In addition, recent observations have shown that TLRs modulate the adaptive immune response, also playing an important role in ocular autoimmune and allergic diseases. One of the main goals of ocular surface treatment is to control the inflammatory reaction in order to preserve corneal integrity and transparency. Recent experimental evidence has shown that specific modulation of TLR pathways induces an improvement in several ocular inflammatory conditions, such as allergic conjunctivitis, suggesting new therapeutic anti-inflammatory strategies. The purpose of the present review is to summarize the current knowledge of TLRs at the ocular surface and to propose them as potential targets of therapy for ocular inflammatory conditions.
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Review Article|
January 28 2011
Toll-like receptors in ocular surface diseases: overview and new findings
Alessandro Lambiase;
Alessandro Lambiase
1
*Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Alessandra Micera;
Alessandra Micera
1
†Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Gian Battista Bietti Eye Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Marta Sacchetti;
Marta Sacchetti
1
*Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Flavio Mantelli;
Flavio Mantelli
*Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Stefano Bonini
*Department of Ophthalmology, University of Rome Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
Correspondence: Professor Stefano Bonini (email [email protected]).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
August 19 2010
Revision Received:
December 01 2010
Accepted:
December 07 2010
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2011 Biochemical Society
2011
Clin Sci (Lond) (2011) 120 (10): 441–450.
Article history
Received:
August 19 2010
Revision Received:
December 01 2010
Accepted:
December 07 2010
Citation
Alessandro Lambiase, Alessandra Micera, Marta Sacchetti, Flavio Mantelli, Stefano Bonini; Toll-like receptors in ocular surface diseases: overview and new findings. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 May 2011; 120 (10): 441–450. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20100425
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