作者: DanHong Zhu , Xuemei Deng , Jing Xu , David R Hinton
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摘要: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in elderly, targets retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a monolayer cells at back eye. As AMD progresses, it can develop into two distinct forms late AMD: "dry," atrophic AMD, characterized by RPE senescence and geographic loss, "wet," neovascular activation with abnormal growth choroidal vessels. The genetic molecular pathways that lead to these diverse phenotypes are currently under investigation. We have found bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4) is differentially expressed AMD. In BMP4 highly RPE, mediates oxidative stress induced senescencein vitro via Smad p38 pathways. contrast, lesions, expression low, possibly result local pro-inflammatory mediators. Thus, may be involved switch determining which phenotypic pathway taken progression