However, whether or not VEGF is indeed critical for the pathogenesis of subretinal neovascularization (SRN) in adulthood, which is a serious complication of age-related macular degeneration, has to be further investigated.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been strongly implicated in the development of choroidal neovascularization found in age-related macular degeneration.
Since the secretion of VEGF by HRPE is regulated by MAP kinase pathways, MAP kinase inhibitors may have potential use as therapeutic agents for CNV in AMD.
On the other hand, this paracrine relation and other physiological functions of VEGFs may be endangered by therapeutic VEGF inhibition, as is currently used in several clinical trials in DR and AMD.
VEGF inhibition is also being tested as a strategy for the prevention of angiogenesis, vascular leakage and visual loss in age-related macular degeneration.
Aberrant retinal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) leading to neovascularization is a central feature of age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, two leading causes of vision loss.
This is the most extensive analysis of the VEGF gene in AMD, demonstrating a clear association with the exudative form of disease, thereby creating the possibility for predictive testing.
Controlling the balance of VEGF(xxx) to VEGF(xxx) isoforms may therefore be therapeutically valuable in the treatment of proliferative eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and age related macular degeneration.
This is the most extensive analysis of the VEGF gene in AMD, demonstrating a clear association with the exudative form of disease, thereby creating the possibility for predictive testing.
AMD RESULTS: Of 4228 participants at risk for incident early and late AMD for whom blood specimens were available for VEGF genotyping, incident early AMD developed in 514 and incident late AMD developed in 89 (35 dry and 54 wet) after a mean follow-up of 7.4 years.
Clinical trials of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) or its receptor VEGFR1 (also called FLT1), in patients with blinding choroidal neovascularization (CNV) from age-related macular degeneration, are premised on gene silencing by means of intracellular RNA interference (RNAi).
Although inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor with ranibizumab has demonstrated efficacy and safety in the treatment of neovascular AMD, novel treatments targeting different mechanisms that play a role in CNV development currently are being investigated.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) is a major pathogenic factor and a therapeutic target for age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinopathy of prematurity.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is important in pathological neovascularization, which is a key component of diseases such as the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and cancer.
In our work, we searched for an association between the -460C> (rs833061) and -634G>C (rs2010963) polymorphisms of the VEGF gene and the occurrence of AMD and its dry and wet forms.