New options for uveitis treatment

• Main Authors: Yu He, Song-Bai Jia, Wei Zhang, Jing-Ming Shi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Press of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO PRESS) 2013-10-01
• Series: International Journal of Ophthalmology
• Subjects: uveitis; intravitreal implants; biologic agents; gene therapy; RNA interference
• Online Access: http://www.ijo.cn/en_publish/2013/5/20130530.pdf

Uveitis is one of the most important causes of blindness worldwide. Its etiology and pathogenesis are complicated and have not been well understood. The treatment for uveitis is predominantly based on steroids and immunosuppressants. However, systemic side effects limit their clinical application. With the advancement of molecular biology, some intravitreal implants and biologic agents have been used for the treatment of uveitis. Additionally, novel techniques such as gene therapy and RNA interference are being studied for using as uveitis therapy. This paper reviews recent advances in uveitis treatment.