Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Enrichment of Bruch's Membrane from Human Donor Eyes
10:22

Enrichment of Bruch's Membrane from Human Donor Eyes

Published on: November 15, 2015

[The complement system and its possible role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)]

P Charbel Issa1, H P N Scholl, F G Holz

  • 1Augenklinik, Universität, Bonn.

Der Ophthalmologe : Zeitschrift Der Deutschen Ophthalmologischen Gesellschaft
|October 11, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Genetic variations in complement factor H (CFH) link the complement system to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This overview explores the complement system and its role in AMD immunopathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Ophthalmology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss.
  • The complement system, a key part of innate immunity, is implicated in AMD pathogenesis.
  • A specific polymorphism in complement factor H (CFH) strongly suggests a causative role.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the complement system.
  • To discuss the immunopathogenetic processes in AMD, considering new data on CFH.
  • To explore the link between complement system dysregulation and AMD.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of complement system function.
  • Analysis of genetic data linking CFH polymorphism to AMD.
  • Synthesis of current understanding of immune mechanisms in AMD.

Main Results:

  • The complement system plays a significant role in the inflammatory processes underlying AMD.
  • CFH polymorphism is a major genetic risk factor for AMD.
  • Evidence suggests complement dysregulation contributes to retinal damage in AMD.

Conclusions:

  • The complement system is critically involved in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration.
  • Targeting complement pathways represents a potential therapeutic strategy for AMD.
  • Further research into complement-mediated inflammation in AMD is warranted.

More Related Videos

A Phenotyping Regimen for Genetically Modified Mice Used to Study Genes Implicated in Human Diseases of Aging09:37

A Phenotyping Regimen for Genetically Modified Mice Used to Study Genes Implicated in Human Diseases of Aging

Published on: July 14, 2016

Efficient Dissection and Culture of Primary Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells08:33

Efficient Dissection and Culture of Primary Mouse Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Published on: February 10, 2021

Related Concept Videos

Complement System01:27

Complement System

The complement system is a group of approximately 20 plasma proteins that strengthen the body's defenses against infections through opsonization, inflammation, and cell lysis. Opsonization involves coating pathogens with complement proteins, making them more recognizable and facilitating phagocyte engulfment. Certain complement proteins induce inflammation that attracts immune cells to the site of infection. Cell lysis involves the destruction of pathogens through the formation of a membrane...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
Humoral Immune Responses01:36

Humoral Immune Responses

Overview
Antimicrobial Proteins01:23

Antimicrobial Proteins

Antimicrobial proteins are important components of the immune system. They aid the body in combating pathogens by either killing them directly or hindering their replication processes. Four main types of antimicrobial substances are interferons, the complement system, iron-binding proteins, and antimicrobial proteins.
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...