Boosting levels of a molecule that helps mop up cholesterol-rich deposits could provide new treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), researchers say.

Previous research has highlighted the role of cholesterol-rich deposits that form under the retina in the initiation and progression of AMD (Cheung et al, 2017).

In the new study, a team at the Washington University of St Louis, US, confirmed that blood from AMD patients contained lower levels of a protein called apolipoprotein M (ApoM) than healthy controls (Lee et al, 2025).

When they treated mice with a model of AMD with blood plasma from mice genetically engineered to over-produce ApoM, they observed improved retinal health, better functioning of light-sensing cells and reduced cholesterol deposit accumulations.

The researchers, whose results were published in Nature Communications, are seeking to develop new treatments based on their findings through a start-up called Mobius Scientific.

Cardiologist and study author Ali Javaheri has previously shown that low ApoM levels in the blood are also seen in some forms of heart failure, leading to hopes that the protein could have wider applications.

The new study provides useful insights into some of the mechanisms underlying AMD. 

It is, however, a complex condition influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors, alongside the effects of ageing on the eye.

Whether the benefits of increasing ApoM levels in mice with AMD-like symptoms can be replicated in human patients with the disease remains to be seen.