Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of central vision loss in the elderly population today. This disease is characterized by significant loss of Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells, which support, protect, and provide nutrients to the photoreceptors that allow for visual perception to occur. One way in which significant loss of RPE cells can occur is through exposure to oxidative stress. The Sestrin family of proteins has been identified as inducible as a result of exposure to oxidative stress in cells. Specifically, Sestrin2 (SESN2) has been found to repress reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may create oxidative stress, resulting in cell death. In this study, a lentiviral vector was used to overexpress SESN2 in RPE cells to determine if there is a protective effect when the RPE cells are exposed to inducers of oxidative stress. If the potential protective effect of SESN2 overexpression is verified, SESN2 may be a viable therapeutic target for specific treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
