Researchers recently discovered a protein that seems to play a critical role in the onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD is the leading loss of vision among people over the age of 50 and currently affects at least 15 million Americans. There is no effective treatment for the dry form of macular degeneration. While the cause of AMD is still not clear, researchers do know that the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells at the back of the eye are at core of the disease. When fats and proteins, which are known as drusen, build up within the RPE cells, that is the early beginnings of AMD.
Researchers were able to identify a multi-step process that results in the accumulation of drusen in the eye. The overproduction of a protein called "tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3" (TIMP3) prevents enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The inability of the MMPs to do their work, leads to the formation of an enzyme that causes inflammation, which in turn causes the buildup of drusen in the eye.
It is hoped that this new research will lead to new drugs that could help curb the progression of AMD.
