Novel Programmed Cell Death as Therapeutic Targets in Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

• Main Authors: Ming Yang, Kwok-Fai So, Wai Ching Lam, Amy Cheuk Yin Lo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: retina; vision; ocular stress; cell damage; homeostasis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/19/7279

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of severe visual loss among the elderly. AMD patients are tormented by progressive central blurring/loss of vision and have limited therapeutic options to date. Drusen accumulation causing retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell damage is the hallmark of AMD pathogenesis, in which oxidative stress and inflammation are the well-known molecular mechanisms. However, the underlying mechanisms of how RPE responds when exposed to drusen are still poorly understood. Programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in cellular responses to stress and the regulation of homeostasis and diseases. Apart from the classical apoptosis, recent studies also discovered novel PCD pathways such as pyroptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis, which may contribute to RPE cell death in AMD. This evidence may yield new treatment targets for AMD. In this review, we summarized and analyzed recent advances on the association between novel PCD and AMD, proposing PCD’s role as a therapeutic new target for future AMD treatment.