Several groups have demonstrated th

Several groups have demonstrated the importance of the intestinal microbiome in uveitis pathogenesis. Two groups showed that altering the microbiota with oral antibiotics results in reduced uveitis severity, and another group demonstrated that a commensal bacterial antigen activates retina-specific autoreactive T cells, potentially indicating a commensal trigger for uveitis. We have found that commensal bacterial metabolites, short chain fatty acids, can suppress autoimmune uveitis. Age-related macular degeneration is associated with an intestinal dysbiosis, which can be influenced by genetic risk alleles and age-related eye disease study (AREDS)