New Study Uncovers How Genes Influence Retinal Aging and Brain Health

New research from the nonprofit biomedical research institution, The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), reveals that genetics play a key role in how the eye ages, with different genetic backgrounds influencing retinal aging in distinct ways.

The study, published in Molecular Neurodegeneration, examines age-related changes in genes and proteins of the retinas of nine strains of mice, mimicking the genetic variability found in humans. While all mice exhibited expected signs of aging, the severity and nature of these changes varied significantly between the nine strains.

“The challenge in studying age-related eye diseases is that aging is heterogeneous,” Gareth Howell, professor and Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Chair for Glaucoma Research at JAX, who led the research, said in a JAX news release. “Observing how aging occurs in one strain of mice might not be relevant to all mice – or humans. To overcome the limitations of previous studies, we wanted to know how genetic context drives aging of the retina.”

Prof. Howell and his team leveraged nine strains of mice with different genetic backgrounds designed to better reflect human variability, generating data on age-related genetic and molecular changes in young and old mice. With their dataset now publicly available, Prof. Howell and his team hope their findings will help other scientists studying aging and vision loss – work that may also improve the utility of the eye as a window to the brain to predict neurological decline.

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