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Retinal Degenerative Diseases pp 83–90Cite as

Autophagy in the Retina: A Potential Role in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

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Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 723))

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with multiple genetic and cellular defects which lead to a common endpoint, retinal degeneration. Aging and oxidative stress, significant features in the pathogenesis of AMD, are associated with an increase in damaged intracellular organelles and defective autophagy flux in a range of age-related and neurodegenerative diseases. Autophagy is a key process in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis that serves to remove dysfunctional organelles and proteins. Autophagy proteins are strongly expressed in the retina and there is now strong evidence that mitochondrial damage and defective autophagy are a feature of the aging retina and that this is further exacerbated in AMD. It is apparent that autophagy makes a significant contribution to lipofuscin accumulation in the RPE. Pharmacological manipulation of autophagy may offer an alternative therapeutic target in AMD.

Haripriya Vittal Rao and Sayak K. Mitter contributed equally to this work.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by NIH grant EY019688 and AHAF grant M2009024.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, 100235, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA

    Sayak K. Mitter, Haripriya Vittal Rao, Xiaoping Qi, Jun Cai, Andrew Sugrue, William A. Dunn Jr. & Michael E. Boulton

  2. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Road, 100267, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA

    Maria B. Grant

Authors
  1. Sayak K. Mitter
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  2. Haripriya Vittal Rao
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  3. Xiaoping Qi
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  4. Jun Cai
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  5. Andrew Sugrue
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  6. William A. Dunn Jr.
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  7. Maria B. Grant
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  8. Michael E. Boulton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael E. Boulton .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, San Francisco, n/a, San Francisco, 94143, USA

    Matthew M. LaVail

  2. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences C, Oklahoma City, 73104, USA

    John D. Ash

  3. Health Science Center, Dean A. McGee Eye Inst., University of Oklahoma, Stanton L. Young Blvd. 608, OKLAHOMA CITY, 73104, Oklahoma, USA

    Robert E. Anderson

  4. Division of Ophthalmology, Cole Eye Institute at the Cleveland Clin, Euclid Ave. 9500, Cleveland, 44195, Ohio, USA

    Joe G. Hollyfield

  5. Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Zurich, ZURICH, 8091, Switzerland

    Christian Grimm

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Mitter, S.K. et al. (2012). Autophagy in the Retina: A Potential Role in Age-Related Macular Degeneration. In: LaVail, M., Ash, J., Anderson, R., Hollyfield, J., Grimm, C. (eds) Retinal Degenerative Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 723. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0631-0_12

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