Dr. Walsh has received a K08 federal award for the grant titled ‘Antigen presentation to the adaptive immune system in the choroid contributes to ocular autoimmune disease’.
Uveitis is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, and while much work has gone into evaluating the effects of T cell-derived cytokines, there is a significant gap in understanding of the anatomy of the immune response including where the adaptive immune system interfaces with ocular antigens. This deficit has led to toxic and often ineffective systemic therapies as the mainstay of treatment. In this proposal, we will test the hypothesis that the adaptive immune system is activated in the choroid, and that this interaction plays a central role in uveitis. We will elucidate the mechanisms contributing to immune surveillance in the choroid with the goal of understanding the mechanisms behind this process and applying it to the development of diagnostic testing and targeted therapy that will improve the clinical outcomes in uveitis.
K08 award is to provide individuals who have a clinical doctoral degree with an intensive, supervised, research career development experience.
James Walsh, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Email: walsh.j@nospam.wustl.edu