Role For Macrophages In Age-related Macular Degeneration

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 16 Aug 2006 - 6:00 PDT


Macrophages--cells involved in the immune response--may have a crucial role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Rajendra Apte and colleagues from the Washington University School of Medicine used a mouse model of choroidal neovascularization--new vessel formation, (CNV) --which is an important part of AMD, to show that preventing macrophage entry into the eye encouraged new vessel formation, whereas direct injection of macrophages significantly inhibited this process.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 y of age in at least three continents. CNV is the process by which abnormal blood vessels develop underneath the retina. CNV develops in 10% of patients with AMD but accounts for up to 90% of the blindness from AMD. This study suggests that regulators of macrophages may be a possible therapeutic target in AMD.

Citation: Apte RS, Richter J, Herndon J, Ferguson TA (2006) Macrophages inhibit neovascularization in a murine model of age-related macular degeneration. PLoS Med 3(8): e310.

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CONTACT:

Rajenda Apte
Washington University School of Medicine
Ophthalmology
660 South Euclid Avenue
Box 8096
St.Louis, MO 63110 United States of America
apte@vision.wustl.edu

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