Understanding the Roles of Very-Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (VLC-PUFAs) in Eye Health

Abstract

Lipids serve many roles in the neural system, from synaptic stabilization and signaling to DNA regulation and neuroprotection. They also regulate inflammatory responses, maintain cellular membrane structure, and regulate the homeostatic balance of ions and signaling molecules. An imbalance of lipid subgroups is implicated in the progression of many retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy, and diet can play a key role in influencing these diseases’ onset, progression, and severity. A special class of lipids termed very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) is found exclusively in mammalian vertebrate retinas and a few other tissues. They comprise ELOVL4 transgene studies have had positive outcomes. However, much remains to be understood about their role in retinal health and the potential for targeted therapies against retinal disease.

Keywords

• animal models
• ELOVL4
• lipid dysregulation
• very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
• VLC-PUFA
• retinal diseases