Exacerbation of retinal degeneration and choroidal neovascularization induced by subretinal injection of Matrigel in CCL2/MCP-1-deficient mice.

This study presents a mouse model for human age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as characterized by subretinal deposit and choroidal neovascularization. Matrigel, a basement membrane extract, solidifies after implantation in tissue and can stimulate local angiogenesis. This study demonstrates the induction of neovascularization and focal retinal degeneration following subretinal Matrigel injection in mice. In senescent mice, the normal functioning of CC chemokine CCL2/MCP-1 and its receptor CCR2 confers protection against age-related retinal degeneration, a disease that shares many similar features with human AMD. Our data shows that CCL2-deficient mice develop more severe disease as compared to the wild-type controls. These findings suggest that Matrigel subretinal injection could be used to generate AMD-like pathological changes. The data support the previously proposed role of CCL2 in AMD pathogenesis.