Abstract
Presentation Description :
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in industrialized nations featuring lipid-rich deposits underneath the retina and neovascularization of the ocular choroidal vasculature. Although systemic immunity plays a critical role in this pathogenic neovascularization, the molecular signals that recruit immune cells to the eye in AMD remain poorly defined. Herein, we prospectively profiled using single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 65 individuals including AMD and controls, which we integrated with existing choroid scRNAseq data. We generated a network of 242 interactions between choroidal cell types and circulating immune cells that are dysregulated in AMD which included known AMD-relevant genes such as VEGF receptor 2. We also identified several choroid-peripheral immune system interactions that may offer novel targets for therapy. This study highlights the enormous potential of utilizing multi-tissue human data to identify disease-relevant and therapeutically modifiable targets.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.