Biological aging phenotypes mediate gut microbiota effects on age-related macular degeneration subtype progression: genetic causality by mendelian randomization and mediation analysis.

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms driving age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression into two major but distinct vision-threatening subtypes, geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV), are unclear. This study identifies causal gut microbiota (GM) taxa involved in AMD and their connections to biological aging phenotypes, including epigenetic clock acceleration, telomere length, mitochondrial DNA copy number, 731 immune cell traits, and 91 inflammatory proteins through genetic prediction. Analyzing 207 GM taxa and 205 functional pathways alongside AMD progression GWAS data, we found that class_Gammaproteobacteria significantly influences both CNV and GA, and a bidirectional gut-retina axis involving Erysipelotrichaceae was also identified. Genus_Flavonifractor, species_Ruminococcus

SUBMITTER: Zhou Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12595188 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature