On phagocytes and macular degeneration

Retinal phagocytes in age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in industrial countries. Vision loss caused by AMD results from geographic atrophy (dry AMD) and/or choroidal neovascularization (wet AMD). Presently, the etiology and pathogenesis of AMD is not fully understood and there is no effective treatment. Oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is considered to...

Macular pigment and age related macular degeneration.

The present concepts of the pathogenesis of AMD include cumulative light damage by oxidative processes in the macular photoreceptors as environmental co-factor for the development of AMD. The direct causative connection of this hypothesis has still to be established but wide circumstantial evidence from epidemiological and basic scientific investigations are strongly supportive. Macular pigment...

Macrophages and Macular Degeneration

Treatment of retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), macular edema and occlusive vascular disease has benefitted greatly from basic and translational research. Understanding of the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) led to the development of its inhibitors, which are now widely applied. 1 In this issue of JOVR, Nourinia et al 2 investigate a potentially n...

Macular Degeneration

the genetics of age-related macular degeneration

age-related macular degeneration (amd) is the leading cause of blindness in old subjects. it is a multifactorial disease with both environmental and genetic factors playing some role in its pathogenesis. similar to many other genetic diseases, the inheritance pattern of amd does not fit into simple mendelian rules. these diseases are caused by the presence of multiple genetic factors and are ca...