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Review
. 2018 Nov 5:9:1280.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01280. eCollection 2018.

Oxidative Stress in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Nrf2 as Therapeutic Target

Ilaria Bellezza  1
Affiliations
Review

Oxidative Stress in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Nrf2 as Therapeutic Target

Ilaria Bellezza. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of vision loss in the elderly. Genetics, environmental insults, and age-related issues are risk factors for the development of the disease. All these risk factors are linked to the induction of oxidative stress. In young subjects retinal pigment epithelial cells mitigate reactive oxygen generation by the elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria, via mitophagy, and by increasing antioxidant defenses via Nrf2 activation. The high amount of UV light absorbed by the retina, together with cigarette smoking, cooperate with the aging process to increase the amount of reactive oxygen species generated by retinal pigment epithelium where oxidative stress arises. Moreover, in the elderly both the mitophagic process and Nrf2 activation are impaired thus causing retinal cell death. This review will focus on the impact of oxidative stress on the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration and analyze the natural and synthetic Nrf2-activating compounds that have been tested as potential therapeutic agents for the disease.

Keywords: Nrf2 activators; aging; cigarette smoke; light-induced photooxidative damage; oxidative stress.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in age related macular degeneration (AMD). Cigarette smoke, aging and light absorption increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and decrease mitochondrial function, lowering ATP synthesis and affect RPE cell functions (Left). The exposure to Nrf2 activating compounds increases antioxidant defenses and ameliorate mitochondrial and cellular functions (Right).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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