Research on Aging and Vision
Vision changes are commonly associated with aging, but what if we could actually reverse some of those effects? A recent study from UC Irvine investigates a potential therapy focused on mitigating age-related visual decline and conditions like age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
“We demonstrate the potential to reverse age-related vision loss,” explains Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, Ph.D., an associate professor in both the Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. This study combines efforts from UC Irvine, the Polish Academy of Sciences, and a medical university in Potsdam, Germany.
The research is detailed in a paper titled “Retinal polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation reverses aging-related vision decline in mice,” published in Science Translational Medicine.
Diving into Aging Genes
This study builds on earlier research regarding the Elongation of Very Long Chain Fatty Acids Protein 2 (ELOVL2), which is known as a significant marker of aging.
“We discovered that vision declines when the ELOVL2 enzyme is inactive,” says Skowronska-Krawczyk, who is also linked to the Robert M. Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research at UC Irvine. In the previous study, the team found that enhancing the expression of the ELOVL2 gene in older mice increased omega-3 fatty acid levels, specifically docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in the eye, leading to improved vision.
The latest research aimed at finding a way to bypass reliance on the ELOVL2 enzyme altogether.
As people age, changes in lipid metabolism result in a decrease of very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) in the retina, ultimately affecting vision and potentially contributing to AMD. The ELOVL2 gene plays a critical role in producing these fatty acids and DHA.
When aged mice were injected with the polyunsaturated fatty acid, their visual function improved. “This serves as proof-of-concept for considering lipid injection as a potential therapy,” Skowronska-Krawczyk notes.
Interestingly, they did not observe the same improvements with DHA alone. There are indeed questions surrounding DHA’s efficacy in slowing AMD progression. “Our findings confirm that DHA alone isn’t sufficient; we have another fatty acid that appears to enhance vision in older subjects,” she points out. The study also indicated that at a molecular level, this fatty acid actually reverses features associated with aging.
Additionally, the team identified genetic variations in the ELOVL2 enzyme that are linked to a faster progression of AMD. “We now have a genetic connection tying the disease to its age-related aspects,” Skowronska-Krawczyk explains. This knowledge could help identify individuals who are at greater risk of vision loss, potentially leading to new therapeutic options and preventative strategies.
These findings have strengthened Skowronska-Krawczyk’s conviction that the ELOVL2 enzyme is crucial. “I’m convinced it’s one of the primary aging genes to consider for anti-aging therapies,” she adds.
Exploring Further Implications
In collaboration with researchers from UC San Diego, Skowronska-Krawczyk has started to investigate lipid metabolism’s role in aging within the immune system. Preliminary findings suggest that the absence of the ELOVL2 enzyme accelerates aging in immune cells, indicating that systemic lipid supplementation could mitigate age-related effects on the immune system. There’s even a suggestion that lipid metabolism may have implications in blood cancers.
“Our initial study looked at therapies for vision loss,” she says. “However, based on what we’ve learned about immune aging, we are hopeful that this supplementation therapy can also enhance immune function.”
