The Novel Role of an Intracellular Nuclear Receptor in AMD Pathogenesis

Project Summary

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness among people aged 60 and older. It is a multifactorial disease involving multiple cellular pathways, among which lipid dysregulation and inflammation are major pathogenic factors. Researchers will investigate the role of a lipid-sensing nuclear receptor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor alpha (RORa) in regulating chronic subretinal inflammation to elucidate AMD pathogenesis. They will assess if genetic deletion of RORa in a type of inflammatory cells may lead to lipid dysregulation and chronic inflammation.