Your Immune System Is Attacking Your Own Eyes - Part 2b of 5

AMD is not classified as an autoimmune disease, but it shares significant overlap with autoimmune mechanisms.

Here's where the confusion comes from-

The complement system dysregulation we covered in Part 2a is the same system involved in many autoimmune conditions.

And the fact that the immune system is damaging the body's own tissue, the RPE and photoreceptors looks like autoimmunity on the surface.

Here' the key distinction -

In a true autoimmune disease (like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or MS), the immune system produces antibodies specifically targeting the body's own tissues as "foreign."

The attack is targeted and adaptive.

In AMD, the damage is driven more by-

Innate immune dysregulation - the complement system and microglia misfiring

Chronic sterile inflammation - not triggered by a specific auto antigen
Failure of immune regulation - rather than a targeted immune assault

So it's inflammatory and immune mediated, but not strictly autoimmune in the classical sense.

Here's where it gets even more interesting

Some researchers are finding autoantibodies against retinal proteins in AMD patients meaning there may be an autoimmune component in a subset of people. This is still an emerging area.

The science isn't settled.

The Body is fascinating and amazing isn't it?

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