An immunological link between the eye and the brain

The eye is an anatomical extension of the central nervous system. In this study, researchers explored the immunological links between the posterior eye and the brain. They studied immune responses to HSV in the brain. They observed that intravitreal immunization was able to protect mice from intracranial infection. This protection applied not only to bacterial infections, but also to tumoral processes. The anterior and posterior compartments of the eye would have distinct lymphatic drainage systems, while the posterior eye and brain would be drained by a common circuit. These data reveal a little-studied immunological feature of the eye, which could pave the way for the development of new therapeutic strategies in ocular or central nervous system diseases.