VIRUS INFECTIONS IN THE EYE

我们已经研究了各种病毒学和免疫病理学过程， 当病毒在眼部微环境中复制时。这个项目 包括三个方面：（1）冠状病毒感染眼部和 视神经细胞;（2）确定病毒在 人类疾病;和（3）抗病毒治疗作用的研究 细胞因子和药物。 我们已经确定鼠冠状病毒可以诱导眼部疾病， 可作为研究视网膜变性疾病的模型系统。 这种型号有许多独特的特点。 这种病毒能够诱导 在轻微炎症存在下的急性感染。最初的视网膜 损害之后是病毒的清除和进行性视网膜病变。 甚至在病毒消失几个月后。除了 形态学损伤，病毒引起的重新分配和减少， 光感受器间类维生素A结合蛋白（IRBP）。这些结果 证明病毒可以诱导生化和形态学变化， 在检测到病毒后很长一段时间内仍然存在并发展。 这种疾病可以被认为是退行性疾病的模型， 色素上皮和光感受器。 需要有效的药物治疗和预防疱疹病毒， 其他病毒性疾病也变得越来越重要。我们发现 白细胞调节素是一种天然存在的免疫细胞因子， 药物阿昔洛韦的抗病毒作用。我们的发现表明， 联合免疫疗法和化疗可以产生大量的 抑制疱疹病毒复制，提供了一个理由， 将该方法应用于治疗病毒感染。

We have studied various virologic and immunopathologic processes that occur when viruses replicate in the ocular microenvironment. This project consists of three areas: (1) studies on coronavirus infection in ocular and optic nerve cells; (2) determination of the possible roles of viruses in human diseases; and (3) studies on antiviral therapeutic actions of cytokines and drugs. We have established that murine coronavirus can induce ocular disease and may be used as a model system for studying retinal degenerative diseases. This model has many unique features. The virus is capable of inducing an acute infection in the presence of mild inflammation. The initial retinal damage is followed by clearance of the virus and progressive retinal destruction, even months after the virus is gone. In addition to morphologic damage, the virus causes a redistribution and reduction in interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP). These results demonstrate that the virus can induce biochemical and morphological changes in the retina that persist and progress long after the virus is detectable. This disease may be considered a model for degenerative diseases of the pigment epithelium and photoreceptors in humans. The need for effective drug treatment and prevention of herpes virus and other viral diseases has assumed growing importance. We found that leukoregulin, a naturally occurring immunologic cytokine, increases the antiviral actions of the drug acyclovir. Our findings, which demonstrate that combination immunotherapy and chemotherapy can produce substantial inhibition of herpesvirus replication, provide a rationale for the application of this approach to the treatment of virus infections.