Recognition of anti-VEGF therapy base on the mechanism of VEGF in wet age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment among older population worldwide,and wet AMD is more threatened to vision because of the choroidal neovascularization.Some physical therapies are thought to destroy the lesions but can not improve the visual acuity.Therefore,anti-VEGF drug therapy is becoming a new approach to the management of wet AMD.Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) is thought to play an important role in the complicated pathogenesis,which can be addressed by disease reduction strategies.Among the anti-VEGF drug therapies,anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies are proved to maintain and improve visual acuity.Other therapies have been or now being developed for the treatment of neovascular AMD with the goal of inhibiting VEGF.These inhibitors include VEGF receptor decoy aflibercept,small interfering RNA-based therapies (bevasiranib) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (vatalanib),which could offer the potential for further advances.To completely realize the active mechanism of VEGF in wet AMD is helpful for the rational use of anti-VEGF drugs. Key words: Age-related macular degeneration; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy