MiR-335-5p as a potential biomarker of wet age-related macular degeneration

Clin Exp Optom. 2026 Mar 31:1-11. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2026.2639834. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Early diagnosis and intervention are of vital importance in delaying the irreversible vision loss caused by wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD).

BACKGROUND: wAMD can lead to blindness in severe cases. At present, the pathogenesis of wAMD is still unclear, so a new biomarker is needed to study wAMD.

METHODS: A total of 190 subjects were included in this study, including the control group (n = 90) and the wAMD group (n = 100). The expression of miR-335-5p and the diagnostic value of miR-335-5p in wAMD were analysed. ARPE-19 cells treated with 300 µM t-BHP for 24 h or 600 µM H2O2 for 24 h were selected as oxidative damage models. MiR-335-5p mimic and miR-335-5p inhibitor were transfected into oxidative damage models to up-regulate and down-regulate miR-335-5p, and then proliferation and apoptosis were measured. Targetscan was used to forecast the target of miR-335-5p and gain VEGFA, which was confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter system. MiR-335-5p and VEGFA were overexpressed in oxidative damage models to detect the role of both in wAMD.

RESULTS: MiR-335-5p was reduced and may have high diagnostic value in wAMD. MiR-335-5p was a risk factor for wAMD. In the oxidative damage models, overexpressed miR-335-5p increased the cell viability and decreased the apoptosis, while the inhibition of miR-335-5p was reversed. VEGFA was the target of miR-335-5p and was negatively regulated by miR-335-5p in the oxidative damage models. VEGFA and miR-335-5p were negatively correlated in wAMD.

CONCLUSION: MiR-335-5p may have a high diagnostic value in wAMD, suggesting that miR-335-5p might be a biomarker of wAMD. VEGFA was the target of miR-335-5p, and the two were negative correlation in wAMD. MiR-335-5p regulates VEGFA secretion in RPE cells, thereby indirectly participating in the core pathological process of wAMD.

PMID:41916527 | DOI:10.1080/08164622.2026.2639834