Age related macular degeneration (ARMD) is a major and irreversible cause of blindness among the elderly. The sub-retinal space, located between the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE) and the external segments of the retinal photoreceptors, plays a crucial role in this pathology. A recent epidemiologic study in the US, unpublished yet, has shown that patients treated with the L-DOPA, developed only later an ARMD when compared to the untreated patients.
The L-Dopa is an endogenous ligand of the GPR43 receptor, located on the RPE's cell's apical pole.
This receptor, via several intracellular mechanisms, regulates the cell's exosomal and endosomal pathways: it would appear that the L-DOPA, by stimulating this receptor, decreases significantly the RPE's exosome release.
The contents of the exosomes is still uncertain, however in addition to their signalization role, it seems they transport pro-inflammatory components, possibly helping the cellular recruitment due to the mononuclear phagocytic systems, particularly toxic for the photoreceptors.
The aim of this study is to validate the hypothesis stating that he L-DOPA would play a protective role against age related macular degeneration.
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