New research from the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has found resident microbes living on the eye are essential for immune responses that protect the eye from infection.
According to researchers, for years the ocular surface was thought to be sterile due to the presence of an enzyme called lysozyme that destroys bacteria, antimicrobial peptides, and other factors that rid the eye of microbes that may get there from the air or fingers.
After culturing bacteria from mouse conjunctiva, researchers reportedly found several species of Staphylococci and Corynebacterium mastitidis (C. mast). Further research using a mouse model unveiled C. mast appears to be a resident ocular microbiome that trains the developing immune system to fend off pathogens.
Researchers are now looking at how these results may translate to human health and immunity, and are currently investigating whether other bacteria play a role in regulating eye immunity.
The study was recently published in the journal Immunity.
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Source: National Eye Institute