Improving retinal mitochondrial function as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. Currently, there are no treatments for dry AMD, which is characterized by the death of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors. Reports from human donors with AMD suggest that RPE mitochondrial defects are a key event in AMD pathology. Thus, the most effective strategy for treating dry AMD is to identify compounds that enhance mitochondrial function and subsequently, preserve the RPE. In this study, primary cultures of RPE from human donors with (n = 20) or without (n = 8) AMD were used to evaluate compounds that are designed to protect mitochondria from oxidative damage (N-acetyl-l-cysteine; NAC), remove damaged mitochondria (Rapamycin), increase mitochondrial biogenesis (Pyrroloquinoli

SUBMITTER: Ebeling MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7327959 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature