Abstract
BackgroundTransplantation of gene transfected endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has provided novel methods for tumor neovascularization therapy but not for ocular disease therapy. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of endostatin transfected EPCs in retinal neovascularization therapy.ResultsQuantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed the high expression of endostatin in endostatin-lentivirus-EPCs. The neovascularization leakage area and the number of preretinal neovascular cell nuclei were significantly decreased in the endostatin-lentivirus and endostatin-lentivirus-EPC groups, and the effects of these two treatments on inhibiting retinal neovascularization were almost the same. These two groups also showed the greater retinal distribution of endostatin. Intravitreal injections of endostatin-lentivirus-EPCs inhibited retinal neovascularization, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CD31 expression, and increased endostatin expression in vivo. Endostatin-lentivirus-EPCs targeted and prevented pathologic retinal neovascularization.ConclusionsGene-combined EPCs represent a potential new therapeutic agent for the treatment of neovascular eye diseases.
Highlights
Transplantation of gene transfected endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has provided novel methods for tumor neovascularization therapy but not for ocular disease therapy
Fluorescent images of EPCs There was no difference between EPCs transduced with endostatin-lentivirus-green fluorescent protein (GFP) and EPCs transduced with lentivirus-GFP
EPCs transduced with a lentiviral vector encoding endostatin-GFP resulted in endostatin overexpression
Summary
Transplantation of gene transfected endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has provided novel methods for tumor neovascularization therapy but not for ocular disease therapy. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of endostatin transfected EPCs in retinal neovascularization therapy. Retinal neovascularization is a severe complication in most types of retinopathy, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and age-related macular degeneration [1]. It is the first leading cause of vision impairment and irreversible blindness today. Previous studies indicated that anti-VEGF agents can inhibit ocular neovascularization through intravitreal injections [6,7,8,9]. Neovascularization may reappear when the therapy is over because the effect of a single injection of anti-VEGF agents is temporary [12]
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