Aging-US published a Special Collection on Eye Disease which included "Role of Citicoline in an in vitro AMD model" which reported that citicoline is the exogenous form of the nootropic, Cytidine 5'-diphosphate-choline that exerts its neuroprotective effects in the brain as well as in the eye.

Citicoline alleviates apoptotic effects as evidenced by diminished AnnexinV/PI and Caspase-3/7 staining, downregulation of apoptosis genes, enhanced cell viability, and reduced oxidative stress in AMD RPE cybrid cells. However, further studies are required to establish the merit of citrusoline as a cytoprotective molecule in AMD and to decipher the molecular underpinnings of its mechanism of action.

Dr. M. Cristina Kenney from The University of California Irvine said, "Citicoline is the international nonproprietary name given to the exogenous pharmacological form of Cytidine 5'-diphosphate-choline (CDP-Choline, CDPCho), a naturally occurring endogenous nucleotide compound that is water-soluble and has a molecular weight of 488.32 g/mol"

Citicoline maintains neuronal membrane integrity, influences neurotransmitter levels, increases norepinephrine and dopamine levels in the central nervous system, restores the activity of membrane sodium/potassium ATPase and mitochondrial ATPase, and enhances brain function.

Owing to these mechanisms, it has been successfully used as a neuroprotective agent to prevent neuronal aging and improve memory and learning in vitro. It has been extensively used in preclinical studies and clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease and glaucoma.

This in vitro study supports our hypothesis as Citicoline conferred significant protection against apoptotic cell death that was in-part mediated by damaged mtDNA from AMD patients.

The Kenney Research Team concluded in their Aging-US Research Output, "although further studies with Citicoline/ AMD RPE cybrid cells are underway, these results present novel findings that identify Citicoline to be a potential protector that attenuates apoptotic cell death in AMD. Citicoline is available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement in the U.S. and offers the advantage of easy access that shortens considerably the transition from lab bench to clinic."

Full Text - https://www.aging-us.com/article/103164/text

Correspondence to: M. Cristina Kenney email: [email protected]

Keywords: Citicoline, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), neuroprotection, RPE, mitochondria

About Aging-US

Launched in 2009, Aging-US publishes papers of general interest and biological significance in all fields of aging research as well as topics beyond traditional gerontology, including, but not limited to, cellular and molecular biology, human age-related diseases, pathology in model organisms, cancer, signal transduction pathways (e.g., p53, sirtuins, and PI-3K/AKT/mTOR among others), and approaches to modulating these signaling pathways.

To learn more about Aging-US, please visit http://www.Aging-US.com or connect with @AgingJrnl

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