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Protein misfolding may be linked to AMD
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Protein misfolding, which underlies the pathogenesis of some amyloid diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, may be associated with age-related macular degeneration, according to a study.
Volker Luibl and colleagues at the Doheny Eye Institute in Los Angeles said that recent characterization of drusen have revealed protein components that are shared with amyloid deposits. However, researchers said that amyloid fibrils have not yet been identified. They sought to determine if nonfibrillar oligomers might be a common link in amyloid diseases.
“We came to observe the presence of nonfibrillar, toxic oligomers in drusen,” the researchers said. “Conversely, no reactivity was observed in age-matched control eyes without drusen. These results suggest that amyloid oligomers may be involved in drusen biogenesis and that similar protein misfolding processes may occur in AMD and amyloid diseases.”
The study is published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.