New Research Offers Hope for Preventing Age-Related Blindness
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States. Despite existing treatments, the underlying causes of this disease and effective therapies remain elusive. New research published in the journal Developmental Cell provides important insights into the cellular mechanisms behind AMD and offers potential avenues for new treatments.
"Current treatments for AMD have limited efficacy and often come with significant side effects," said Ruchira Singh, PhD, with the University of Rochester Flaum Eye Institute and Center for Visual Sciences, and lead author of the study. "Our research aims to identify novel therapeutic targets that could potentially halt the progression of this disease."
The study utilized human stem cells to model AMD, overcoming the limitations of previous research using animal models. By examining genes associated with both AMD and rarer inherited forms of blindness called macular dystrophies, the researchers identified a key protein involved in the early stages of the disease.
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a layer of cells at the back of the eye, plays a crucial role in AMD. Over time, deposits of lipids and proteins, known as drusen, accumulate in the RPE. These deposits are often an early indicator of AMD.
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