June 23rd, 2026
Researchers have discovered many correlations between age-related diseases that occur in very different tissues at opposite ends of the body and, at first glance, appear to have little to do with one another. These correlations arise because the many varied outcomes of aging emerge from a much smaller set of underlying mechanisms of damage, such as mitochondrial dysfunction and accumulation of senescent cells. The patterned burden of these these forms of damage, amount and distribution in the body, will tend to favor the emergence of some forms of age-related disease over others. Regardless of how this all progresses, these underlying forms of damage are the real target that should be addressed by potential therapies to treat aging.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss among the elderly in industrialized countries. Neovascular AMD (nAMD), characterized by choroidal neovascularization, represents the most vision-threatening form of AMD and is uniquely dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-driven angiogenesis. While the ocular consequences of nAMD are well-established, mounting evidence suggests potential links between AMD and systemic diseases, including cancer. AMD and cancer may share several common risk factors and biological mechanisms, such as advanced age, smoking, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and dysregulated angiogenic pathways, notably involving VEGF.
