Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs) in the Aging Retina

The immune system reacts to damaged and dying cells, as well as their debris. As the level of tissue damage rises with age, this pattern recognition contributes to increasing levels of chronic inflammation. That in turn causes further harm, changing cell behavior for the worse, degrading tissue structure and function. Inflammation in aging is an example of a process that is beneficial in the short term becoming harmful when sustained for the long term, a process that is beneficial in the youthful environment becoming actively harmful in the age-damaged environment. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous danger molecules released from the extracellular and intracellular space of the damaged tissue or dead cells. DAMPs are (i) rapidly released following necrosis; (ii) produced by the activated immune cells via specialized secretion systems or by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi apparatus secretion pathway; (iii) known to activate the innate immune system by interacting with pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), and thereby directly or indirectly promote adaptive immunity responses; (iv) inclined to contribute to the host's defense and pathological inflammatory responses in non-infectious diseases; and (v) responsible for restoring homeostasis by promoting the reconstruction of the tissue. Accumulating evidence indicates that DAMPs are associated with the sterile inflammation caused by aging, increased ocular pressure, hyperglycemia, oxid...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs