Bringing the age-related macular degeneration high-risk allele age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 into focus with stem cell technology.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of blindness in older adults in developed countries. It is a multifactorial disease triggered by both environmental and genetic factors. High-temperature requirement A serine peptidase 1 (HTRA1) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) are two genes that are strongly associated with AMD.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Outer Retinal Disease.

The retina, which is composed of multiple layers of differing cell types, has been considered the first choice for gene therapy, disease modeling, and stem cell-derived retinal cell transplant therapy. Because of its special characteristics, the retina, located in the posterior part of the eye, can be well observed directly after gene therapy or transplantation. The blood-retinal barrier is part of a specialized ocular microenvironment that is immune privileged.