New Mechanism Identified Behind Blindness in Older Adults

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identified a new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration, reports EurekAlert . Using laboratory-bred roundworms, the team found a version of complement factor H protein contained in the sensory neurons that help the worms detect chemicals, food, touch, and temperature. The protein manifested in the middle region of the sensory neuron's cilia, adjacent to another known important antenna protein called inversin. But in worms designed to lack complement factor H, the inversin spread throughout the antennas instead of keeping to the middle. The team then used light-detecting cells in tissue from human retinas to confirm these results, finding that in subjects genetically predisposed to macular degeneration, inversin also spread around the antennas. "Our findings suggest that complement factor H plays a role in maintaining the organization of photoreceptor cilia and this process may be defective in age-related macular degeneration," said University of Maryland School of Medicine Professor Bruce Vogel.