C-Reactive Protein as a Therapeutic Target in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Molins, Blanca (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer)
Romero-Vázquez, Sara (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer)
Fuentes-Prior, Pablo (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Adan Civera, Alfredo (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer)
Dick, Andrew D. (University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2018
Abstract:	Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a retinal degenerative disease, is the leading cause of central vision loss among the elderly population in developed countries and an increasing global burden. The major risk is aging, compounded by other environmental factors and association with genetic variants for risk of progression. Although the etiology of AMD is not yet clearly understood, several pathogenic pathways have been proposed, including dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The identification of AMD susceptibility genes encoding complement factors and the presence of complement and other inflammatory mediators in drusen, the hallmark deposits of AMD, support the concept that local inflammation and immune-mediated processes play a key role in AMD pathogenesis that may be accelerated through systemic immune activation. In this regard, increased levels of circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with higher risk of AMD. Besides being a risk marker for AMD, CRP may also play a role in the progression of the disease as it has been identified in drusen, and we have recently found that its monomeric form (mCRP) induces blood retinal barrier disruption in vitro. In this review, we will address recent evidence that links CRP and AMD pathogenesis, which may open new therapeutic opportunities to prevent the progression of AMD.
Grants:	Instituto de Salud Carlos III RD16/0008
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article de revisió ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	C-reactive protein ; Macular degeneration ; Aging ; Inflammation ; Retina
Published in:	Frontiers in immunology, Vol. 9 (april 2018) , ISSN 1664-3224

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00808
PMID: 29725335

9 p, 1.1 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles