Retinal pigment epithelium-specific CLIC4 mutant is a mouse model of dry age-related macular degeneration
Nature communications, 2022•nature.com
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the
elderly. Dry AMD has unclear etiology and no treatment. Lipid-rich drusen are the hallmark
of dry AMD. An AMD mouse model and insights into drusenogenesis are keys to better
understanding of this disease. Chloride intracellular channel 4 (CLIC4) is a pleomorphic
protein regulating diverse biological functions. Here we show that retinal pigment epithelium
(RPE)-specific Clic4 knockout mice exhibit a full spectrum of functional and pathological …
elderly. Dry AMD has unclear etiology and no treatment. Lipid-rich drusen are the hallmark
of dry AMD. An AMD mouse model and insights into drusenogenesis are keys to better
understanding of this disease. Chloride intracellular channel 4 (CLIC4) is a pleomorphic
protein regulating diverse biological functions. Here we show that retinal pigment epithelium
(RPE)-specific Clic4 knockout mice exhibit a full spectrum of functional and pathological …
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly. Dry AMD has unclear etiology and no treatment. Lipid-rich drusen are the hallmark of dry AMD. An AMD mouse model and insights into drusenogenesis are keys to better understanding of this disease. Chloride intracellular channel 4 (CLIC4) is a pleomorphic protein regulating diverse biological functions. Here we show that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-specific Clic4 knockout mice exhibit a full spectrum of functional and pathological hallmarks of dry AMD. Multidisciplinary longitudinal studies of disease progression in these mice support a mechanistic model that links RPE cell-autonomous aberrant lipid metabolism and transport to drusen formation.
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