The associations of inflammation biomarkers with the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration

• Applicant: Dr. Petra Larsen
• Subject Area: Ophthalmology ; Epidemiology and Medical Biometry/Statistics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 470371820

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly in the developed world and is characterized as a chronic-progressive disease with early, intermediate and advanced (atrophic and neovascular) stages. The underlying pathological mechanisms are not yet fully understood and no therapy exists for early, intermediate or atrophic AMD. The most important factors in AMD pathogenesis are oxidative stress along with immune dysregulation and chronic local inflammatory response. Therefore, understanding the role of inflammation in AMD is crucial for the understanding of AMD itself and for the development of therapies for delaying disease progression. In recent years, a link between gut microbiota, diet and micronutrients in AMD has been described as the so-called “gut–retina axis”. The gut microbiome plays an essential role in the human body. An altered gut microbiota results in an increased intestinal permeability and thus a higher translocation of bacterial products such as endotoxins. Endotoxin induced pro-inflammatory signaling occurs in several cell types. In an experimental model, it could already be shown that endotoxin may also sustain ocular inflammation.The aim of the proposed study is to elucidate the role of endotoxins in early, intermediate and late atrophic AMD. Therefore, we will use statistical models to study associations of endotoxins with AMD in the Alienor cohort. As this cohort has just completed the 5th study examination, the longitudinal data analysis will include more than 14 years of follow-up. Furthermore, we aim to build a risk predictive model of AMD. This model will combine the data of our endotoxin analysis with known risk factors of AMD to generate a model that can be used to identify patients at risk of developing AMD or progressing to advanced AMD.In short, the proposed project aims to improve our understanding of AMD by analyzing the influence of inflammation on AMD, and to help to identify new approaches for therapeutic targeting of early, intermediate and atrophic AMD.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: France
• Host: Professorin Dr. Cécile Delcourt