USE OF A CD40:CD154 BINDING INTERRUPTOR TO TREAT IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS OF THE EYE

摘要

The invention relates generally to the treatment and inhibition of immunological complications of the eye. Such complications include unwanted immune responses resulting in an ocular inflammatory disease, resulting from a corneal or retinal graft transplantation or resulting from ocular angiogenesis, particularly ocular neovascularization. The invention relates in particular to the inhibition, treatment, or reversal of immune-system driven rejection of grafted corneal or retinal tissue or cells in a recipient host and to the treatment or inhibition of ocular inflammatory disease or ocular neovascularization in a host. Compositions and methods disclosed herein capitalize on the discovery that immunological complications of the eye can be inhibited using a CD40:CD154 binding interruptor, either alone or in combination with another immunomodulator or immunosuppressor. An exemplary CD40:CD154 binding interruptor is an anti-CD154 monoclonal antibody, such as an antibody having the antigen-specific binding characteristics of the 5c8 monoclonal antibody.