Rationale for therapeutic targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and bone marrow-derived fibrocytes in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

Development of medical therapy for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy has lagged behind that for many other autoimmune diseases, in large part because its pathogenesis has not been understood. Recent insights into the nature of the main target of the disease, orbital connective tissues, have led to a greater understanding of how and why this ocular manifestation of Graves' disease might occur. Emerging from this work are the identities of potential drug targets. We believe that these findings will help pave the road toward an acceleration of therapy development.