Abstract
Presentation Description :
Emerging evidence challenges the eye lens as an immune privileged organ. In this presentation, I will provide research data supporting a role of macrophages in lens capsule rupture repair. In the lens of connexin 50 and aquaporin 0 double knockout mice, posterior lens capsule is ruptured, resulting in lens tissue extrusion into the vitreous cavity with formation of a “tail-like” tissue. This tissue mass contains delayed regressed hyaloid vessels, fibrotic tissue and macrophages at postnatal 15 days. The presence of macrophages declined after postnatal day 30 with M2 macrophages detected inside the lens. By postnatal day 90, the “tail-like” tissue completely disappeared and the posterior capsule rupture was sealed with thick fibrotic tissue. We found that colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) that activated macrophages accelerated capsule repair, while inhibition of the CSF-1 receptor delayed the repair. Together, our study suggests that lens posterior rupture leads to the recruitment of macrophages delivered by the regression delayed hyaloid vessels. CSF-1-activated M2 macrophages mediate capsule rupture repair and development of fibrosis.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.