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Abstract #122886 Published in IGR 25-1
Development of Microcystoid Macular Degeneration in the Retina of Nonhuman Primates: Time-Course and Associated Pathologies
Lavery TCM; Rasmussen CA; Katz AW; Kim CBY; Ver Hoeve JN; Miller PE; Sonnentag PJ; Christian BJ; Murphy CJ; Piwnica-Worms DR; Gammon ST; Qiu X; Kaufman PL; Nork TMCurrent Eye Research 2025; 50: 93-100
PURPOSE: Microcystoid macular degeneration (MMD) is a condition where cystoid vacuoles develop within the inner nuclear layer of the retina in humans in a variety of disorders. Here we report the occurrence of MMD in non-human primates (NHPs) with various retinal ganglion cell (RGC) pathologies and evaluate the hypothesis that MMD does not precede RGC loss but follows it. METHODS: Morphological studies were performed of the retinas of NHPs, specifically both rhesus () and cynomolgus macaques (), in which MMD was identified after induction of experimental glaucoma (EG), hemiretinal endodiathermy axotomy (HEA), and spontaneous idiopathic bilateral optic atrophy. imaging analyses included fundus photography, fluorescein angiography (FA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO), light microscopy, and electron microscopy. RESULTS: MMD, like that seen on OCT scans of humans, was found in both rhesus and cynomolgus macaques with EG. Of 13 cynomolgus macaques with chronic EG imaged once with OCT six of 13 animals were noted to have MMD. MMD was also evident in a cynomolgus macaque with bilateral optic atrophy. Following HEA, MMD did not develop until at least 2 weeks following the RNFL loss. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that MMD may be caused by a retrograde trans-synaptic process related to RGC loss. MMD is not associated with inflammation, nor would it be an independent indicator of drug toxicity in pre-clinical regulatory studies. Because of its inconsistent appearance and late development, MMD has limited use as a clinical biomarker.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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