Paper Spotlight: Age-related Macular Degeneration and C-reactive Protein

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Aging (Aging-US)

Aging (Aging-US) published this trending research paper on July 16, 2020, entitled, "Activation of C-reactive protein proinflammatory phenotype in the blood retinal barrier in vitro: implications for age-related macular degeneration" by researchers from the Group of Ocular Inflammation, Clinical and Experimental Studies, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques Agustí Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Life Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK; Cardiovascular Research Center-ICCC, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, IIB-Sant Pau, CiberCV, Institute Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain; Academic Unit of Ophthalmology, School of Clinical Sciences and School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. Abstract: The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is considered one of the main targets of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible vision loss among the ageing population worldwide. Persistent low grade inflammation and oxidative stress eventually lead to RPE dysfunction and disruption of the outer blood-retinal barrier (oBRB). Increased levels of circulating pentameric C-reactive protein (pCRP) are associated with higher risk of AMD. The monomeric form (mCRP) has been detected in drusen, the hallmark deposits associated with AMD, and we have found that mCRP induces oBRB disruption. However, it is unknown how mCRP is generated in the subretinal space. Using a Transwell model we found that both pCRP and mCRP can cross choroidal endothelial cells and reach the RPE in vitro and that mCRP, but not pCRP, is able to cross the RPE monolayer in ARPE-19 cells. Alternatively, mCRP can originate from the dissociation of pCRP in the surface of lipopolysaccharide-damaged RPE in both ARPE-19 and primary porcine RPE lines. In addition, we found that the proinflammatory phenotype of mCRP in the RPE depends on its topological localization. Together, our findings further support mCRP contribution to AMD progression enhancing oBRB disruption. Special collection on eye disease - https://www.aging-us.com/special-collections-archive/eye-disease Press release - https://www.aging-us.com/news_room/activation-of-c-reactive-protein-proinflammatory-phenotype-in-the-blood-retinal-barrier-in-vitro-implications-for-age-related-macular-degeneration Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.103655 DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.103655 Full text - https://www.aging-us.com/article/103655/text Correspondence to: Blanca Molins email: bmolins@clinic.cat Keywords: age-related macular degeneration, retinal pigment epithelium, inflammation, C-reactive protein About Aging-US Launched in 2009, Aging-US publishes papers of general interest and biological significance in all fields of aging research and age-related diseases, including cancer—and now, with a special focus on COVID-19 vulnerability as an age-dependent syndrome. Topics in Aging-US go beyond traditional gerontology, including, but not limited to, cellular and molecular biology, human age-related diseases, pathology in model organisms, signal transduction pathways (e.g., p53, sirtuins, and PI-3K/AKT/mTOR, among others), and approaches to modulating these signaling pathways. Please visit our website at http://www.Aging-US.com​​ or connect with us on: SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/Aging-Us Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/agingus​ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ Aging-US is published by Impact Journals, LLC please visit http://www.ImpactJournals.com​​ or connect with @ImpactJrnls Media Contact 18009220957 MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM