title: Moving forward in uveitis therapy: preclinical to phase II clinical trial drug development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several advances have been made in the diagnostic approach and therapeutic management of patients with immune-mediated uveitis over the last few decades, which have to lead to an improvement in the visual prognosis of patients. However, the use of available therapies, including steroids and immunosuppressive drugs, is still associated with limited efficacy and potentially serious side effects. Consequently, efforts have been made to develop novel therapeutic alternatives including new molecules and innovative therapeutic approaches.
  
  
  METHODS
  Herein, the authors provide an updated review of those drugs in the initial phases of evaluation for the treatment of immune-mediated uveitides as well as the latest evidence from basic research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhanced understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms leading to immune-mediated uveitis has led to the identification of new therapeutic targets and thus to the development of more specific drugs. In addition, considering that the eye is a semi-enclosed chamber and that local therapy has the benefit of sparing the rest of the body from potentially toxic exposure, several attempts of establishing direct ophthalmologic avenues for delivery of the established and emerging drugs have also been made. All these advances have been an unquestionable step forward in the challenging management of uveitis patients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Hospital Comarcal Jarrio , Coaña , Asturias , Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salazar-Méndez
authors.affiliation: b Department of Visual Services , Harvard Medical Associates , Braintree , MA , USA.
authors.forename: Taygan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.affiliation: c Head of the Uveitis Unit , University Hospital of León , León , Spain.|d Instituto Biomedicina (IBIOMED) , University of León , León , Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cordero-Coma
mesh_terms: D060433:Administration, Ophthalmic; D000818:Animals; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D014605:Uveitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
keywords: Uveitis; animal models; clinical trials; drug carriers; drug delivery systems; drug-related side effects; experimental therapy; macular edema; therapeutics; treatment