D'Amore, Patricia AnnTseng, Wen Allen2014-06-062014-06-062014Tseng, Wen Allen. 2014. LYSOSOMAL DESTABILIZATION IN RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL CELLS ACTIVATES THE NLRP3 INFLAMMASOME AND INDUCES IL-1β SECRETION. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University.http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:11347http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:12274498Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness, affecting over 30 million people worldwide. It is characterized by the appearance of insoluble deposits known as drusen in the outer retina, between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Bruch's membrane. Drusen are heterogeneously composed of many compounds, including cholesterol, amyloid-β, and complement proteins. AMD also involves the accumulation of pigments collectively termed lipofuscin in RPE lysosomes. The underlying causes of AMD are unknown, but studies have implicated inflammatory processes in its pathogenesis.en-USBiologyOphthalmologyImmunologyAMDInflammasomeInflammationNLRP3RetinaRPEThesis or Dissertation2014-06-06