fig4

Figure 4. Retinal impact of wet AMD risk factors. (A) Depicts age-related lipofuscin accumulation and drusen formation; (B) the ARMS2-HTRA1 locus is a prominent genetic risk factor for AMD, resulting in excess HTRA1 expression and heightened degradation of RPE extracellular matrix and Bruch’s Membrane; (C) oxidative stress due to mitochondrial superoxide release and bloodborne cigarette smoke extracts alter transcriptional pathways that increase oxidative load in the retina. AMD: age-related macular degeneration; RPE: retinal pigment epithelium