This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Researchers identify high levels of zinc in subretinal pigment epithelial deposits
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Researchers have discovered high levels of zinc in subretinal pigment epithelial deposits in Bruch's membrane, suggesting a novel therapeutic target for treating age-related macular degeneration, according to a study published in the April issue of Experimental Eye Research.
Imre Lengyel, PhD, and colleagues in Europe and the United States used zinc-specific fluorescent probes and microprobe synchrotron X-ray fluorescence to evaluate whether zinc is involved in AMD deposit formation.
"We showed that [subretinal pigment epithelial] deposits in post-mortem human tissues contain unexpectedly high concentrations of zinc, including abundant bioavailable ions," the study authors reported. The accumulation of zinc was particularly high in the maculae of eyes with AMD. Additionally, internal deposit structures were especially enriched in bioavailable zinc, they noted.
"Based on the evidence provided here, we suggest that zinc plays a role in [subretinal pigment epithelial] deposit formation in the aging human eye and possibly also in the development and/or progression of AMD," they said.