Omega-3s in the Battle Against Blindness

The primary cause of blindness in older residents of industrialized countries,  age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by blood vessel growth (choroidal neovascularization, CNV).  Kip Connor, from Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues have demonstrated for the first time that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)  and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – the primary omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs),  and their specific bioactive products derived from the cytochrome P450 (CYP) pathway, can influence CNV and vascular leakage by modulating micro-environmental immune cell recruitment to the site of these lesions. Writing that: “These findings provide a unique mechanism whereby specific [cytochrome P450]-derived lipid metabolites regulate angiogenesis in a mouse model of [age-related macular degeneration],” the study authors posit that:  “Our findings not only show promising therapeutic potential for resolution of neovascular AMD, but also for other conditions or diseases that involve angiogenesis and inflammation, such as atherosclerosis and cancer.”