Innate Immune Response Enters Center Stage for Inflammatory Eye Disease

“Our observations further connect the relationship among mincle, Card9-signaling events and IL-1, which is a known early signal required for induction of EAU,” write the authors in their discussion. “Our data demonstrate induction of gene expression of molecules within the IL-1 inflammasome pathway (e.g., Nlpr3, Il-1, Asc, Caspase-1) that are regulated by Card9, thereby implicating Card9 as a signal upstream from IL-1.”

Card9 is activated via the upstream kinases Syk and PKC-δ, and the investigators noted that the Syk-coupled Card9 pathway is highly homologous between mice and humans.

Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

Reference

Lee EJ, Brown BR, Vance EE, et al. Mincle activation and the Syk/Card9 signaling axis are central to the development of autoimmune disease of the eye. J Immunol. 2016 Feb 26. pii: 1502355. [Epub ahead of print]

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