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The role of lymphocytes and phagocytes in age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

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Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment of the elderly population. Since AMD is a multifactorial age-related disease with various genetic risk factors, the understanding of its complex pathophysiology is still limited. However, animal experiments, genome-wide association data and the molecular profiling of AMD patient samples have highlighted a key role of systemic and local immune processes that contribute to this chronic eye disease. In this overview article, we concentrate on the role of lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes and their interplay in triggering a persistent immune response in the AMD retina. We preferentially review findings from human immune cell analyses and complement these with related findings in experimental models. We conclude that both immune cell types as their signaling network may be a rich source to identify novel molecular targets for immunomodulation in AMD.

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Acknowledgements

The research in our laboratory is supported by funds from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR2240, LA1209/11–2), the Helmut Ecker Foundation (03/17), the Pro Retina Foundation (1/2015), the Hans and Marlies Stock Foundation (S061-10.013), and the Velux Foundation (Project 967). We thank Dr. Marion Rozowski for critical reading of the manuscript.

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  1. Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye, Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany

    Verena Behnke, Anne Wolf & Thomas Langmann

  2. Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), 50931, Cologne, Germany

    Thomas Langmann

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  1. Verena Behnke
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  2. Anne Wolf
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Correspondence to Thomas Langmann.

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Behnke, V., Wolf, A. & Langmann, T. The role of lymphocytes and phagocytes in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 77, 781–788 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-019-03419-4

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