Associations between the ocular microbiome and the mucosal immune system in eye diseases

Recent studies showed that the ocular microbiome may be crucial for maintaining ocular surface homeostasis. Disruption of this homeostasis, called dysbiosis, may lead to inflammation that is a key component in the pathogenesis of several eye disease. It has been suggested that bacteria are invasive in ocular mucosal tissue, thereby effectively hidden from clearance by the local immune system and rendering the inflammation chronic. Therefore, we hypothesize that the ocular microbiome may induce changes in the mucosal immune system of the eye and thus, the overall aim of this project is to assess the associations of the mucosal immune system and the ocular microbiome in the eye.