New groundbreaking research published today reveals the previously overlooked critical role of cornea T cells during viral infection.

A new ground-breaking study from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity shows that the cornea, the clear outer layer of the eye that helps us see, makes a limited immune response to fight infections without hurting our vision.

The study, which was published today in Cell Reports, found that long-living memory T cells that guard and attack viral infections are present in the cornea, contradicting popular belief that T cells are not present in healthy corneas and thus expanding our knowledge of the eye’s immune response to infections.

The researchers studied cornea cells in Herpes Simplex Virus-infected mice using a multiphoton microscope, which offers live images of living, complete biological tissues. Long-living memory T cells were created in the mice’s eyes to fight the infection, according to their findings.

After the virus was eradicated, the memory T cells stayed in the cornea to prevent future infection. Immune cells patrolled the cornea of healthy people, according to advanced imaging — the first time cells have been imaged moving in human eyes.

For people to be able to see, the cornea must stay clear so that focused light can reach the retina through the iris. The existence of T cells in the corneas was previously overlooked, as the eyes only create a mild immune response in order to avoid inflammation that would hinder our vision.

These findings have crucial implications for understanding how eyes ward off harmful infections, according to lead author University of Melbourne Professor Scott Mueller, laboratory head at the Doherty Institute.

“Current understanding that T cells are not found in healthy corneas needs to be reconsidered, as our discovery shows tissue-resident memory T cells entering the cornea and remaining there for long periods,” said Professor Mueller.

The findings of the study “will improve the understanding of how to protect our eyes from infections that cause permanent blindness, such as Herpes Simplex Virus.”

“This also has implications for understanding chronic conditions such as dry eye disease and common eye allergies where unwanted T cells might also cause disease.”

The University of Melbourne’s Departments of Optometry and Vision Sciences and Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, as well as Monash University’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, collaborated on this research.

Image Credit: Getty

You were reading: Cornea T Cells Are More Important During Viral Infection – New Research