Method of activating regulatory t cells with alpha-2b adrenergic receptor agonists

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of upregulating regulatory T cells, and treating diseases that would benefit from such upregulation, by administering an alpha-2 receptor agonist.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of treating autoimmune uveitis or ocular inflammation in a patient, the method comprising administering to the patient in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of a compound having the following structure: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. 
       
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the compound is administered for an initial period, and then administered for a second period after a withdrawal period has elapsed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the initial, second, and withdrawal periods is independently one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, or fourteen days, or one, two, three, or four weeks. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is autoimmune uveitis. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the disease is ocular inflammation.