Physiopathological retinal aging

Abstract

Purpose: The retina, as the rest of the central nervous system, is subjected to normal, as well as to pathological aging processes. Among others, age-related macular degeneration is a highly prevalent complication of aging and it has been recently connected to Alzheimer disease. We look for common molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying physiopathological aging in the retina and the CNS, as well as for potential therapies to delay the process. Material and Methods: Immunohistochemistry and electrophysiology were used to evaluate the effects of normal aging in C57Bl/6 mouse retinas. As model for pathological aging, SAMP8 mouse retinas were also studied. To assess the effects of a proinsulin treatment in retinal degeneration, we employed intramuscular injection of adenoasociated vectors (AAV) expressing human proinsulin.