Ocular TB

Furthering the understanding of ocular TB infection.

Clinical signs of TB in the eye of humans and cats are a relatively common clinical presentation. In humans, this can lead to significant visual impairment and even blindness if not diagnosed and treated. In cats, removal of the eye is common in such cases.

To develop more appropriate treatment regimes, and improved accuracy of diagnosis in humans a number of animal models have been used. These have significant limitations and we are now assessing whether the cow is a more appropriate model for human ocular TB, alongside further understanding feline ocular TB. Cattle are naturally infected by bacteria that cause TB, and we have evidence for ocular involvement.

This project will extensively characterise the eyes of TB reactor cattle and look at the immune responses associated with infection. In cats, further studies of the immune/inflammatory response will also be undertaken.

This is a collaborative project with the companion animal TB team, Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). We will analyse images of bovine eyes in collaboration with Epipole Ltd. This work is funded by Fight for Sight.

Team members: Rhonda Williams (bovine); Danielle Gunn-Moore, Ben Blacklock and Jordan Mitchell (feline)

Team partners: Harry Petrushkin and Laura Ganis at Moorfields Eye Hospital; Timm Konold and Alex Nunez at APHA; Jo Moore at Moredun Research Institute

Key references:

Mitchell, J. L., Ganis, L., Blacklock, B. T., Petrushkin, H., Hope, J. C., & Gunn-Moore, D. A. (2020). Ocular Tuberculosis: More than “Of Mice and Men”. Ocular Immunol. Inflamm. Epub ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1080/09273948.2020.1797116