AMD slowed at a cellular level

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Acady of Sciences, found that bioactive metabolites derived from the cytochrome P450 pathway (CYP) were able to suppress abnormal vascular growth linked to AMD.The metabolites are known as second messengers – molecules that relay signals received at receptors on the cell surface, such as the arrival of protein hormones or growth factors – which help facilitate physiological changes within the cell such as proliferation, differentiation, and migration.{{quote-A:R-W:450-Q:There could be other significant therapeutic applications in harnessing bioactive metabolites, notably conditions involving angiogenesis and inflammation, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.}}These particular second messenger metabolites are able to change how immune cells are recruited to areas of disease and injury, in turn bypassing the link between inflammation and choroidal neovascularisation (CNV). When CNV is curbed, the leaking and rupture of these abnormal blood vessels in the retina is reduced, protecting against retinal detachment.Aside from AMD, the scientists from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) suggested there could be other significant therapeutic applications in harnessing bioactive metabolites, notably conditions involving angiogenesis and inflammation, such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.The role of immune cells in advanced AMD has not always been a central focus of research, but the MEEI study suggests they are likely a major contributor in the pathologic process.The scientists used transgenic mice with altered CYP lipid biosynthetic pathways in a model of laser-induced CNV to study the role of the lipid metabolites. In the process they discovered CYP-derived metabolites epoxydocosapentaenoic acids (EDPs) and epoxyeicosatetraenoic acids (EEQs) are vital for suppressing CNV.It is the team’s hope that further research will expand on the work and lead to safe, targeted and cost-effective therapies that improve visual outcomes and quality of life for patients with AMD and other debilitating eye diseases.