Immunobiologicals and ocular surface disease

Immunobiologicals have surfaced to become a new cornerstone of treatment for a wide spectrum of inflammatory disorders with an immune basis. The targets have ranged from autoimmune conditions to transplantation, and now more into atopic inflammatory disorders with primary targets of asthma and atopic dermatitis.

The clinical information garnered from these studies have provided an initial snapshot on the potential adverse effects of the immunobiologicals on the ocular surface as well as providing a potential opening of their use in the treatment of various chronic ocular surface and intraocular inflammatory disorders that have previously been relegated to limited therapeutic options primarily to the broad anti-inflammatory use of glucocorticosteroids.

The use of immunobiologicals provides a more directed therapeutic approach to many of the ocular inflammatory disorders, as we continue to appreciate more of their underlying immunopathophysiology of ocular surface disorder,s including ocular allergy and tear film dysfunction.