A Wnt Modulator for Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by progressively decreased central vision and visual acuity and remains a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in aged Americans. Currently, the standard of care for AMD is intravitreal vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. Clinical studies have demonstrated that anti-VEGF drugs can slow or reverse the progression of wet-AMD. However, these therapies are not always effective in all patients. AMD is a multi-factorial disease involving numerous pathogenic factors, such as VEGF, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- ), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and fibronectin (FN), that contribute to angiogenesis, inflammation, fibrosis and oxidative stress in AMD. Thus, targeting a VEGF or VEGF receptors alone may not benefit all cases of AMD, and there is a great demand for developing more effective therap