{
  "id": 16642604,
  "title": "Previously unrecognized immune cells may drive harmful blood vessel growth in blinding eye diseases",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/previously-unrecognized-immune-cells-may-drive-harmful-blood-vessel",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-26T18:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-previously-unrecognized-immune-cells-blood.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Northwestern Medicine researchers have discovered a new type of immune cell that appears to play a key role in the development of harmful blood vessels in certain eye diseases, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The findings, which could lead to novel treatments for patients who do not respond to current therapies, were led by Dr. Jeremy Lavine, an ophthalmology professor at Northwestern Medicine.\n\nThe team analyzed nearly 100,000 immune cells from human and mouse eye tissues, identifying a distinct subtype of macrophages called monocyte-derived pro-angiogenic ocular macrophages (MoPOMs). These cells were found to be consistently overrepresented in patients with eye diseases characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth, such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Both of these conditions are leading causes of vision loss worldwide.\n\nIn the study, the researchers observed that depleting IL7R-positive macrophages in mouse models reduced abnormal blood vessel growth by more than 40%, suggesting that these cells are essential for disease development. High-resolution spatial transcriptomics confirmed that the macrophages were located almost exclusively near the lesions responsible for vision loss in wet AMD. The team also identified MMP14, a protein produced by the macrophages and other cells in the lesions, as a potential therapeutic target. Treating mice with an MMP14 inhibitor reduced lesion size by over 50%.\n\nDr. Lavine emphasized that suppressing the signals produced by these macrophages could help prevent vision-threatening blood vessel growth, offering a new treatment option for patients facing blindness. Unlike existing therapies that target a single molecule to inhibit angiogenesis, the researchers hope that targeting these macrophages could inhibit the cells driving angiogenesis through multiple mechanisms, potentially leading to more effective treatments. Future research will focus on translating these findings into clinical therapies.",
  "summary": "A Northwestern Medicine study has identified a previously unrecognized population of immune cells that appears to fuel harmful blood vessel growth in multiple blinding eye diseases, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The discovery could open the door to new treatments for patients who don't respond to existing therapies, said the study's senior author…",
  "key_points": [
    "Researchers discover new immune cell type in eye tissues",
    "Monocyte-derived pro-angiogenic ocular macrophages (MoPOMs) overrepresented in vision loss diseases",
    "MMP14 protein from macrophages identified as potential therapeutic target"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}