Genetic and environmental risk factors in age-related macular degeneration in vitro, in vivo and population studies

Abstract

The aims of this project are to show the potential sites of interaction between underlying genetic susceptibilities and environmental influences (cigarette smoke) in neovascular AMD. Our current hypothesis proposes that cigarette smoke exerts its toxic effects by altering the expression of vasoactive proteins at the level of the RPE, ultimately promoting angiogenesis. To test this we used in vitro and in vivo menthods. We also consider the possibility that known genetic risk factors in regions coding for vasoactive proteins may contribute to this process of angiogenesis in Irish patients with AMD. [exerpt Page 69]