| abstract |
A method of protecting a cell includes inhibiting an inflammasome, MyD88, IL-18, VDAC1, VDAC2, caspase-8, and/or NFκB of the cell. Administering an inhibitor of MyD88, IL-18, VDAC1, VDAC2, caspase-8, and/or NFκB can protect the cell from Alu-RNA-induced degeneration. Protecting a cell, such as an retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), can be therapeutically useful in the context of age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy. |