Lipofuscin

Lipofuscin is a fatty yellow pigment that builds up in the cells in the macula - the center of the retina responsible for our sharp, detailed and central vision. It is a common symptom in vitelliform macular dystrophy.

In this genetic eye disease, a fatty yellow pigment builds up in the cells under the macula. Gradually these deposits accumulate and damage the photoreceptor cells that are critical for sharp, straight ahead vision.

Symptoms are

loss of central vision, and

blurry or distorted vision.

This accumulation of lipofuscin can be detected during an eye exam.

Lipofuscin and Age Related Macular Degeneration

According to a report from Molecular and Cellular Protemonics,

"Lipofuscin accumulates with age in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in discrete granular organelles and may contribute to age-related macular degeneration."

Molecular & Cellular Proteomics 7:1397-1405, 2008. © 2008 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

"A precondition for AMD appears to be the accumulation of the age pigment lipofuscin in lysosomes of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells."

J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 275, Issue 50, 39625-39630, December 15, 2000

The Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics has an article titled:

"Potential role of retinal pigment epithelial lipofuscin accumulation in age-related macular degeneration."

This report states, "Although a correlation between RPE lipofuscin content and AMD has been reported, a cause-and-effect relationship between RPE lipofuscin accumulation and the development of this disease has not been established."

Volume 34, Issue 3, Pages 359-370 (May 2002)

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