Scientists Find That the Loss of a “Youth” Protein Could Drive Aging
In mice missing a protective protein in their eyes, age-related macular degeneration-like symptoms appear. The loss of the protein pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which safeguards retinal support cells, may hasten age-related alterations in the retina, infers a recent National Eye Institute (NEI) study in mice. Given that the retina is the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, age-related retinal illnesses such age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can result in blindness. The newly discovered facts might aid in the creation of drugs to halt AMD and other age-related disorders of the retina. In the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, the study was published. The National Institutes of Health includes NEI. According to Patricia Becerra, Ph.D., head of the NEI's Section of Protein Structure and Function and senior author of the study, PEDF has been referred to as the "youth" protein because it is plentiful in juvenile retinas but drops with agin...