Toll like receptors in ocular inflammation

该项目的目的是更好地了解导致葡萄膜炎发作的事件，葡萄膜炎是成人视力障碍和失明的常见原因。Toll样受体（TLR）是一组新的细胞表面受体，是一种炎症介质，通过识别微生物中的特征分子，在免疫功能和免疫系统识别微生物的能力中起重要作用。TLR系统是免疫防御的早期预警系统，TLR系统的激活诱导多种介体的产生，这些介体引发并维持炎症。人们对这种新的受体家族产生了浓厚的兴趣和研究，它们已被证明在人类疾病如炎症性肠病和银屑病中发挥重要作用。TLR在葡萄膜炎中的作用尚未研究。我们假设TLR在连接某些细菌和葡萄膜炎的诱导中起核心作用。TLR 4是TLR家族的一员，已被明确鉴定为革兰氏阴性菌细胞壁组分（一种称为LPS的化学物质）的关键受体。体外数据显示，LPS刺激TLR4导致炎症介质的释放。该项目旨在研究TLRs在眼睛中的表达，控制其表达的因素以及用其靶向化学物质刺激TLRs的结果。更好地了解葡萄膜炎的病因和机制将有助于开发更特异和有效的治疗方法。

The aim of this project is to better understand the events that cause the onset of uveitis, a common cause of visual impairment and blindness in adults. Toll like receptors (TLR) are a new group of cell surface receptors tinflammatory mediators.hat are important in immune function and the immune system's ability to recognise and respond to to microbes by recognising signature molecules contained in microbes. The TLR system is the early warning system of immune defence and activation of the TLR system induces the generation of multiple mediators that initiate and perpetuate inflammation. There has been intense interest and research into this novel family of receptors and they have been shown to play an important role in human diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis. The role of TLRs in uveitis has not been studied. We hypothesise that TLRs play a central role linking certain bacteria and the induction of uveitis. TLR4, a member of the TLR family has been clearly identified as the key receptor for cell wall components of gram negative bacteria (a chemical called LPS). In vitro data shows that TLR4 stimulation by LPS causes the release of inflammatory mediators. This project is designed to study the expression of TLRs in the eye, factors that control their expression and the results of stimultaing TLRs with their target chemicals. Better understanding ofd the causes and mechanisms of uveitis will allow the development of more specific and effective treatments.