Key takeaways:
- Emerging research indicates that disrupting the gut microbiome balance may lead to eye diseases.
- Studies have been conducted to explore the microbiome’s effect on uveitis and macular degeneration.
In recent decades, the microbiome has emerged as a dynamic ecosystem, an “invisible organ” that plays a crucial role in systemic health and, more recently, in ophthalmology.
When naturally balanced, this complex community of microorganisms and genetic material can fulfill multiple functions that are essential to a person’s well-being. Recent research has shown that when this balance is disrupted, a complex cascade of inflammatory and immune responses could potentially pave the way to the onset of numerous conditions, including eye diseases.
“There is emerging evidence from animal models, also coupled with human data, that a connection exists,” Dimitra Skondra, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology and visual science at the University of Chicago, said. “Many questions are still open, but the beauty and the challenge of this field of research is that the microbiome is so powerful that it affects multiple aspects of our systemic health, including the eye. It impacts nutrient absorption, metabolism, inflammation, neuroprotection, oxidative stress regulation, and immunological responses, and it is a biomarker of aging. And all these different aspects play a role in many of the ocular diseases.”
The microbiome is not concentrated in one place but is present in various body sites and organs. However, the gastrointestinal tract contains the largest, densest, and most diverse microbial community and also houses about 70% of the body’s immune system.
“It’s not surprising that the gut microbiome is so important in shaping systemic immunity and has an impact in distant tissue sites, such as the eyes, which are separated from the systemic circulation due to the blood-ocular barrier,” Phoebe Lin, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology at Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, said.
Source: Healio