Macrophage Heterogeneity in Treatment Resistant Neovascular Age Related Macular Degeneration (Jacob Sterling ISBP)

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the United States. In the rapidly blinding subtype, termed neovascular AMD (NVAMD), abnormal blood vessels grow in the retina leading to vision loss. While existing therapies are highly effective in 85% of patients with NVAMD, 15% of NVAMD patients exhibit treatment resistance, with continued vision loss despite maximal therapy. Previous work has shown that specific immune cells, called macrophages, contribute to this abnormal blood vessel growth, and may block existing therapies from working in the 15% of patients with treatment resistant NVAMD. This study aims to identify the subset of macrophages responsible for treatment resistance.