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VI. International Symposium on AMD – Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Emerging Concepts – Exploring known and Identifying new Pathways

11. - 12.09.2015, Baden-Baden

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Microglia in AMD

Meeting Abstract

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  • Thomas Langmann - Cologne

VI. International Symposium on AMD – Age-Related Macular Degeneration – Emerging Concepts – Exploring known and Identifying new Pathways. Baden-Baden, 11.-12.09.2015. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2015. Doc15amd26

doi: 10.3205/15amd26, urn:nbn:de:0183-15amd262

Published: October 1, 2015

© 2015 Langmann.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Outline

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Microglial cells have an important role in innate immunity of the retina. A plethora of animal experiments as well as ample evidence from human retinal tissue specimens revealed chronic pro-inflammatory activation of microglia in the degenerating and aging retina. To define microglia as therapy targets for AMD and other retinal degenerative diseases, it is of utmost importance to identify molecular mechanisns, novel markers and pharmacological principles. Here, we present Siglec receptors on microglia and the mitochondrial translocator protein (18 kDa) as molecular markers and targets for microglia-directed immunomodulatory therapies for the degenerating retina.