UC Irvine Scientists Find DNA Damage is Key Factor in AMD

Accumulated DNA damage in the retina is a key contributor to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and that targeting specific retinal cell types may lead to treatments that slow or stop progression, according to a research team co-led by the University of California, Irvine.

The study, recently published online in the journal Aging Cell, reveals how DNA damage, a hallmark of aging, compromises the retina’s function and accelerates vision loss.

“Our findings highlight the critical role DNA damage repair plays in maintaining retina health for good vision,” co-corresponding author Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, UC Irvine associate professor of physiology and biophysics, said in a UC Irvine news release. “Because age is the strongest risk factor for AMD, gaining deeper insights into the underlying biology of aging in the eye is essential for developing effective therapies.”

The team compared a mouse model with reduced levels of ERCC1-XPF, a DNA repair enzyme, with both young, healthy mice and naturally aging mice. By 3 months of age, the model showed signs of visual impairment, structural alterations in the retina, abnormal blood vessel formation, and shifts in gene expression and metabolism, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction in the retinal pigment epithelium. All these changes mirror those seen in natural human eye aging.

Read the full report here.