Abstract:

The etiology and pathogenesis of thyroid associated ophthahnopathy (TAO) is unclear．Due to the lack of animal models that mimic human TAO disease in a real sense, the research and clinical application of potential therapies based on new theories of pathogenesis are limited. In recent years, it is generally believed that overexpression of thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), immune cells and cytokine activation response are the main synergistic factors that cause TAO. Environment and gut microbiome may induce the heterogeneity of immune response in TAO animal models. TSHR plasmid gene immunoelectric shock method established TAO animal model could lay the foundation for the study of TAO pathogenesis and therapeutic drugs.(Int Rev Ophthalmol, 2019, 43: 421-425)