In a study from Sanford Burnham Prebys, scientists are helping to reveal the molecular secrets of macular degeneration, which causes almost 90% of all age-related vision loss.
The study describes the flexible structure of a key blood protein involved in macular degeneration and other age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis.
There are hundreds of proteins in our blood, but the researchers focused on vitronectin, one of the most abundant.
In addition to circulating in high concentrations in the blood, vitronectin is found in the scaffolding between cells and is also an important component of cholesterol.
Vitronectin is a key player in many age-related diseases, but for the team, the most promising target is macular degeneration, which affects as many as 11 million people in the United States. This number is expected to double by 2050.
The team says this protein is an important target for macular degeneration because it accumulates in the back of the eye, causing vision loss.
Similar deposits appear in the brain in Alzheimer’s disease and in the arteries in atherosclerosis.
In the study, the researchers found that the protein can subtly change its shape under pressure.
These changes cause it to bond more easily to calcium ions in the blood, which the researchers suggest leads to the buildup of calcified plaque deposits characteristic of macular degeneration and other age-related diseases.
These structural insights will streamline the development of treatments for macular degeneration because it will allow researchers and their partners in the biotech industry to custom-design antibodies that selectively block the protein’s calcium-binding without disrupting its other important functions in the body.
If you care about eye health, please read studies about how to save your eyes from diabetes, and the treatments for the dry eye you need to know.
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The study was conducted by Francesca Marassi et al and published in Biophysical Journal.
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