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* Services of Interest: Customized Animal Models of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
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* All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
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Customized Animal Models of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic degenerative disorder of the retina that requires robust in vivo systems for evaluating new macular therapeutics. Ace Therapeutics provides global clients with customized AMD animal model services supported by standardized, reproducible procedures for model induction, dosing, and ocular assessments. Leveraging extensive experience in ophthalmic pharmacology and imaging, we help address technical challenges and generate reliable data for AMD research and preclinical development.

Pathophysiology of AMD

AMD is a chronic, progressive disorder of the macula involving photoreceptors, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), Bruch's membrane, and the choriocapillaris. Key features include drusen and subretinal deposits, RPE dysfunction, photoreceptor loss, geographic atrophy (GA), and, in neovascular forms, choroidal neovascularization and exudation. Genetic, imaging, and tissue-based studies indicate that complement pathway dysregulation, chronic low-grade inflammation, lipid and lipoprotein accumulation, oxidative and mitochondrial stress, and choriocapillaris microvascular rarefaction are closely linked to the onset and progression of AMD. These mechanisms form the biological basis for the development of animal models that capture key structural and functional features of AMD.

Fig. 1. Morphological Evolution of AMD. Fig. 1. Manifestations of AMD. (Fleckenstein M, et al., 2021)

Explore Our Animal Models of AMD

Ace Therapeutics offers a portfolio of customized animal models of AMD spanning multiple species and disease stages, suitable for evaluating macular neovascularization (MNV) and GA. These AMD animal models incorporate key features such as RPE and photoreceptor degeneration, GA-like changes, and choroidal neovascularization, providing flexible options for hypothesis-driven and phenotype-focused studies. Our scientific team works closely with you to select and adapt the most appropriate AMD model for your program, aligning induction methods, observation windows, and available readouts to support robust preclinical assessment of macular therapeutics.

AMD Animal Model Evaluation Services

We provide AMD animal model evaluation services to help our clients characterize macular therapeutics in neovascular and atrophic forms of AMD. Evaluation focuses on structural, functional, and molecular endpoints that reflect pathological features relevant to AMD and can be adapted to the objectives of each program.

Service Category	Available Services
Efficacy Assessment	Optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure retinal thickness, assess outer retinal layers, and identify intraretinal or subretinal fluid. Color fundus photography to document choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesions, GA-like areas, hemorrhage, and exudation. Fluorescein angiography (FA) to visualize vascular leakage and characterize CNV lesion patterns.
Functional and Visual Evaluation	Electroretinography (ERG) to assess retinal function and outer retinal responses. Optokinetic tracking (OKT) or optomotor response testing to measure visual acuity and contrast sensitivity.
Mechanism and Biomarker Analysis	Histology to evaluate retinal and RPE morphology, degeneration, and structural damage. Immunohistochemistry to detect complement components, inflammatory markers, gliosis, and cell-specific changes. Molecular assays to analyze gene and protein expression related to complement activation, inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death pathways.

Ace Therapeutics helps pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions translate AMD research concepts into executable preclinical AMD studies. Our team supports study design refinement and development of suitable AMD animal models, and provides standardized study data and reports. If you would like to explore how our AMD platform can support your research, please contact us to discuss study designs, model options, and tailored evaluation strategies.

References

Fleckenstein M, Keenan TDL, Guymer RH, et al. Age-related macular degeneration. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 May 6; 7(1): 31.
Chakravarthy U, Peto T. Current Perspective on Age-Related Macular Degeneration. JAMA. 2020 Aug 25; 324(8): 794-795.
Mitchell P, Liew G, Gopinath B, et al. Age-related macular degeneration. Lancet. 2018 Sep 29; 392(10153): 1147-1159.

For Research Use Only.