Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40221802›Full record

ArticleBMC biology2025

Dysregulated lipid metabolism in a retinal pigment epithelial cell model and serum of patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Ana Álvarez-Barrios, Lydia Álvarez, Pilar Sáenz de Santa María, Montserrat García, Jorge R Álvarez-Buylla, Rosario Pereiro, Héctor González-Iglesias

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Spontaneous whole retinal degeneration in aged Beclin1 heterozygous mice.Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Dysregulated DNA Methylation inInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Article
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ana Álvarez-BarriosFundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Oviedo, Spain.
Lydia ÁlvarezFundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Oviedo, Spain. l.alvarez@fio.as.
Pilar Sáenz de Santa MaríaFundación de Investigación Oftalmológica, Oviedo, Spain.
Montserrat GarcíaInstituto Oftalmológico Fernández-Vega, Oviedo, Spain.
Jorge R Álvarez-BuyllaInstituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPLA-CSIC), Oviedo, Spain.
Rosario PereiroDepartment of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
Héctor González-IglesiasInstituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPLA-CSIC), Oviedo, Spain. hectorgi@ipla.csic.es.

Funding

Fundación Rafael del Pino Cátedra Rafael del PinoMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2022-137319OB-C22Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional FPU20/00608
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness, characterized by retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction, extracellular deposit formation, and disrupted lipid metabolism. Understanding the molecular changes underlying AMD is essential for identifying diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

resultsThis multiomic study employed a primary RPE culture model to investigate age-related changes associated with AMD. Over 25 weeks, RPE cells exhibited phenotypic deterioration, including depigmentation, cell shape deformation, and barrier integrity loss, accompanied by extracellular deposit formation. Transcriptomic analysis revealed dysregulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism, including pathways for cholesterol transport, glycerophospholipids, and ceramide biosynthesis. Metabolomic profiling further identified significant changes in glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid metabolism, highlighting a decline in phospholipid species and ceramide accumulation. Serum analysis of AMD patients revealed altered levels of 18 lipids identified in RPE cultures. Four lipids showed significant differences compared to controls: GlcCer(d16:1/18:0) (1.23-fold increase, adj. p value < 0.001), PE(19:1(9Z)/22:2(13Z,16Z)) (0.34-fold decrease, adj. p value < 0.001), PE(15:0/20:3(5Z,8Z,11Z)) (0.66-fold decrease, adj. p value < 0.05), and PC(22:2(13Z,16Z)/13:0) (0.71-fold decrease, adj. p value < 0.05). These findings underscore the systemic nature of lipid dysregulation in AMD and the translational relevance of the RPE model.

conclusionsThis study highlights the significant role of lipid metabolism dysregulation in AMD pathogenesis. The consistent lipidomic alterations observed in RPE cultures and AMD patient serum reinforce their potential as biomarkers for disease progression and therapeutic targets. These findings provide a robust framework for understanding AMD-associated lipid metabolism changes and their systemic impact.

Indexed as

Lipid MetabolismMacular DegenerationRetinal Pigment EpitheliumAgedCells, CulturedFemaleHumansMaleAgeingAge-related macular degenerationLipid metabolismMultiomicsRetinal pigment epitheliumSerum

Identifiers

PMID40221802
PMCPMC11993946

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.