Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have recently unearthed that the accumulation of DNA damage in the retina plays a significant role in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in individuals over 50. The study, which was published in the journal Aging Cell, indicates that targeted treatments focusing on specific cells within the retina could potentially halt or slow the progression of this debilitating disease.
AMD impacts about 200,000 Americans every year and has two main forms: “wet” and “dry”. The former can be treated with existing therapies, but the latter lacks effective treatment options. The recent discovery highlights the importance of repairing DNA damage in order to maintain good eye health and vision.
The retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, consumes more oxygen than any other body tissue and is reliant on the retinal pigment epithelium cell layer for proper function. Due to its high metabolic activity and light exposure, it is highly susceptible to oxidative stress and DNA damage accumulation over time, a process closely linked with aging.
The research team conducted a comparative study using a mouse model with reduced levels of ERCC1-XPF, a DNA repair enzyme. The model, at just three months old, displayed signs of visual impairment and retinal structural alterations, which are similar to those seen in natural human eye aging. This research breakthrough offers a deeper understanding of how DNA damage contributes to eye diseases like AMD and provides a foundation for the development of interventions to address vision loss causes.
Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, co-corresponding author and UC Irvine’s associate professor of physiology and biophysics, stated that the team plans to investigate which specific cell types drive age-related changes by selectively impairing DNA mechanisms. This will aid in the development of preventative interventions that could significantly reduce the burden of age-related vision loss and improve the lives of millions.
This research also included contributions from William Cho, a project scientist at UC Irvine, Dr. Laura J. Niedernhofer, a professor and director at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Biology of Aging & Metabolism, and faculty and students from the University of Minnesota, the University of Florida, and Columbia University.
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