Autoimmune response drives vision loss in glaucoma

(Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) A research team from Massachusetts Eye and Ear and MIT has shown that immune cells in the eye that developed in response to early exposure to bacteria are a key contributor to progressive vision loss from glaucoma, the second leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. The findings, published online in Nature Communications, suggest that high pressure in the eye leads to vision loss by setting into motion an autoimmune response that attacks the neurons in the eye.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news