What is it about?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of vision loss in Ireland and worldwide, particularly in people over the age of 50. While treatments exist for the early stages of the “wet” form of AMD, many patients still go on to develop scarring under the retina. This scarring, called fibrosis, can permanently damage central vision and currently has no effective treatment. Researchers from Trinity College Dublin, in close collaboration with F-Hoffmnn-La Roche, have made an important breakthrough in understanding how this scarring develops. The team has created a detailed “atlas” of the cells in the eye that produce collagen, the main component of scar tissue. Using advanced imaging techniques, they were able to watch scar tissue forming over time in the eye, and combine this with cutting-edge genetic analysis to understand which cells are involved. The study found that a specific type of cell, called a fibroblast, is responsible for producing most of the scar tissue in advanced AMD. Importantly, the researchers discovered that fibroblasts are not all the same. Some fibroblasts help repair the eye after injury, this is a normal and necessary process. Others become overactive and drive harmful scarring, leading to lasting vision loss. The researchers also identified a key marker, a protein called periostin, which is only present in the harmful, scar-forming fibroblast cells. This could help scientists and clinicians distinguish between early disease and advanced fibrosis. Professor Sarah Doyle, who led the study, said “Up to half of patients with wet AMD develop scarring within just a few years, and once that happens, we currently have no way to treat it. By identifying the exact cells responsible, we are opening the door to new, more targeted therapies.”
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Photo by César Couto on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This research is important because it shifts the focus from individual molecules to the specific cells driving disease. Targeting these harmful fibroblast populations could one day help prevent or reduce scarring in patients with AMD. In the future, this could lead to new treatments that preserve vision and improve quality of life for people living with macular degeneration.
Perspectives
This project stemmed from an initiative called the immunology incubator programme in Roche, Basel. In this programme, I, as an academic with expertise in immunology, was invited to work with scientists in Ophthalmology in Roche leading a project we were to co-design. The idea being to expedite innovation and expand our knowledge of the disease processes in AMD through our diverse skillsets. I have thoroughly enjoyed this collaboration, over the years as the project developed there were many stimulating and thought provoking discussions with co-authors (now friends!) on the data generated. I believe this work is a great example of how curiosity driven research can benefit the drug discovery pipeline, and vice versa, how those in drug discovery and drug development can support curiosity driven research.
Sarah Doyle
University of Dublin Trinity College
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Collagen-producing eye cell atlas reveals distinct fibroblast fates in early injury vs. fibrotic subretinal disease, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2519056123.
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