Environmental stress impairs photoreceptor outer segment (POS) phagocytosis and degradation and induces autofluorescent material accumulation in hiPSC-RPE cells.

ABSTRACT: Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell dysfunction is central to the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of adult blindness. Aging, the single biggest risk factor for AMD development, favors increase in RPE autofluorescent material due to accumulation of POS-digestion by-products through lysosomal dysfunction and impaired POS degradation. Apart from aging, environmental agents affect lysosomal function in multiple model systems and are implicated in AMD. Iron (Fe) overload and cigarette smoke exposure are the two environmental factors that are known to affect the lysosomal pathway and impact RPE cell health. However, the impact of Fe and cigarette smoke, on POS processing and its consequence for autofluorescent material accumulation in human RPE cells are

SUBMITTER: Dalvi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6522536 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature