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Next-generation therapeutic solutions for age-related macular degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of irreversible blindness among the elderly in the western world. To date, no cure is available and the current anti-VEGF therapy has only shown limited efficacy in improving visual acuity in neovascular AMD. The etiology of AMD remains elusive but research over the past decade has uncovered characteristic features of the disease. These features include: oxidative stress and retinal pigment epithelial cell cytotoxicity; loss of macromolecular permeability and hydraulic conductivity in Bruch's membrane; inflammation; choroidal neovascularization and vascular leakage; and loss of neuroprotection. Recent breakthroughs in understanding the pathogenesis of AMD have spawned an array of novel therapeutic agents designed to address these hallmarks. Here we review the features of AMD and highlight the most promising therapeutic and diagnostic approaches based on the patents published from 2008 to 2011.

SUBMITTER: Cunnusamy K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3772523 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Next-generation therapeutic solutions for age-related macular degeneration.

Cunnusamy Khrishen K Ufret-Vincenty Rafael R Wang Shusheng S

Pharmaceutical patent analyst 20120501 2

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of irreversible blindness among the elderly in the western world. To date, no cure is available and the current anti-VEGF therapy has only shown limited efficacy in improving visual acuity in neovascular AMD. The etiology of AMD remains elusive but research over the past decade has uncovered characteristic features of the disease. These features include: oxidative stress and retinal pigment epithelial cell cytotoxicity; loss of macromol ...[more]

PMID: 24040506

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Project description:Today, the average life expectancy in developed nations is over 80 years and climbing. And yet, the quality of life during those additional years is often significantly diminished by the effects of age-related, degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly worldwide. AMD is characterized by a progressive loss of central vision attributable to degenerative and neovascular changes in the macula, a highly specialized region of the ocular retina responsible for fine visual acuity. Estimates gathered from the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) global eye disease survey conservatively indicate that 14 million persons are blind or severely visually impaired because of AMD. The disease has a tremendous impact on the physical and mental health of the geriatric population and their families and is becoming a major public health burden. Currently, there is neither a cure nor a means to prevent AMD. Palliative treatment options for the less prevalent, late-stage 'wet' form of the disease include anti-neovascular agents, photodynamic therapy and thermal laser. There are no current therapies for the more common 'dry' AMD, except for the use of antioxidants that delay progression in 20%-25% of eyes. New discoveries, however, are beginning to provide a much clearer picture of the relevant cellular events, genetic factors, and biochemical processes associated with early AMD. Recently, compelling evidence has emerged that the innate immune system and, more specifically, uncontrolled regulation of the complement alternative pathway plays a central role in the pathobiology of AMD. The complement Factor H gene--which encodes the major inhibitor of the complement alternative pathway--is the first gene identified in multiple independent studies that confers a significant genetic risk for the development of AMD. The emergence of this new paradigm of AMD pathogenesis should hasten the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this disease that will dramatically improve the quality of our prolonged lifespan.

Dataset Information

Next-generation therapeutic solutions for age-related macular degeneration.

Publications

Next-generation therapeutic solutions for age-related macular degeneration.

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