Inflammasome IL-18 could prevent blindness due to eye disease

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin discovered that inflammasome, a part of the immune system, can regulate the development of blindness due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). "Dry" AMD is associated with excessive amounts of drusen, which has no forms of therapy other than recommended lifestyle changes. This AMD may progress to the "wet" form, where blood vessels underneath the retina begin to grow, leading to central blindness. Dr. Sarah Doyle and Dr. Matthew Campbell have together discovered that drusen accumulating in the macula can lead to the production of two inflammatory components, IL-1beta and IL-18. According to Dr. Campbell, IL-18 acts as an anti-angiogenic factor, which prevents the progress of wet AMD. Dr. Doyle disclosed that their results suggest that augmenting the levels of IL-18 in the retinas of patients with dry AMD could prevent the development of the wet AMD, a prospect for a novel therapy for AMD.