Smoking mice: a potential model for studying accumulation of drusen-like material on Bruch's membrane

Currently, there are no animal models that can be used to test pharmacological efficacy of drugs that are under development for treating dry AMD. We suggest measuring the accumulation of a panel of drusen-like proteins on Bruch's membrane in mice as a surrogate endpoint to test pharmacological modulation of the course of drusen formation. We further suggest that the buildup of proteins on Bruch's membrane in the RPE/choroid in "smoking mice" can be used as a surrogate model for pharmacological studies and that using these mice will significantly decrease the time frame for demonstrating pharmacological efficacy of lead compounds.