Current and Future Treatment Options for Nonexudative and Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease of the posterior segment of the eye. It is has been diagnosed worldwide and primarily affects individuals over 50 years of age. The incidence of the disease increases with age and with the presence of certain genetic factors, which may indicate a disposition for disease progression. In addition to genetic factors and age, other factors may be involved in developing AMD. These include obesity and smoking, which are also linked to various cardiovascular conditions. There are two forms of AMD: wet and dry. Both forms may involve the build-up of drusen deposits in the posterior segment of the eye, but the wet form tends to be more severe due to the proliferation of blood vessels into the macula and retinal areas of the back of the eye, thus causing an individual’s vision to become ‘blocked’ or ‘shaded’ usually beginning at the center of the visual field. There are a variety of treatment options for AMD including surgery in the form of laser or photo therapy. The most current treatment options involve the injection of a biologic into the posterior segment of the eye. There are some severe adverse events with this approach but they tend to be rare.

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Epigenomic signatures in age-related macular degeneration: Focus on their role as disease modifiers and therapeutic targets

European Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1177/11206721211028054 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 2856-2867

Author(s):

Valerio Caputo ◽

Claudia Strafella ◽

Andrea Termine ◽

Carlo Fabrizio ◽

Paola Ruffo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Macular Degeneration ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Gene Expression Profiles ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Age Related ◽

Molecular Machinery ◽

Set Up ◽

External Stimuli

Epigenetics is characterized by molecular modifications able to shape gene expression profiles in response to inner and external stimuli. Therefore, epigenetic elements are able to provide intriguing and useful information for the comprehension and management of different human conditions, including aging process, and diseases. On this subject, Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) represents one of the most frequent age-related disorders, dramatically affecting the quality of life of older adults worldwide. The etiopathogenesis is characterized by an interplay among multiple genetic and non-genetic factors, which have been extensively studied. Nevertheless, a deeper dissection of molecular machinery associated with risk, onset, progression and effectiveness of therapies is still missing. In this regard, epigenetic signals may be further explored to disentangle disease etiopathogenesis, the possible therapeutic avenues and the differential response to AMD treatment. This review will discuss the epigenomic signatures mostly investigated in AMD, which could be applied to improve the knowledge of disease mechanisms and to set-up novel or modified treatment options.

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Today and Future of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

ISRN Ophthalmology ◽

10.5402/2012/480212 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kang Liu ◽

Bolin Xie

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Macular Degeneration ◽

Effective Treatment ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Neovascular Amd ◽

Age Related ◽

New Directions ◽

Genetic Mechanisms

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50 in developed countries. Understanding of the pathologic process, genetic mechanisms, and risk factors of this disease has the benefit of seeking newer and more effective treatment options. Current clinical therapy for AMD shows a dramatic change from a decade ago. Anti-VEGF drug therapy is regarded as the more effective treatment for neovascular AMD now, especially combining PDT therapy. In the future, the genetic and biochemical therapies may be the promising treatments for AMD. This paper will focus on the progress of pathology, candidate genes of AMD, risk factors, and the existing drugs or surgical therapies available, in order to present some new directions of care with the prospect of improved vision in many patients suffered from AMD.

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Treatment Options in Subfoveal Choroidal Neovascularization Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Seminars in Ophthalmology ◽

10.3109/08820539809066080 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 31-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Fumio Shiraga ◽

Ippei Takasu ◽

Chieko Shiragami

Keyword(s):

Macular Degeneration ◽

Choroidal Neovascularization ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Age Related ◽

Subfoveal Choroidal Neovascularization

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Nutritional Therapy in Dry-form (Non-Neovascular) Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Güncel Retina Dergisi (Current Retina Journal) ◽

10.37783/crj-0023 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 135-144

Keyword(s):

Macular Degeneration ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Nutritional Therapy ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Central Vision ◽

Multiple Factors ◽

Age Related ◽

Health Factors ◽

Degenerative Disorder ◽

Systemic Health

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the macula in which central vision becomes impaired and leading cause of blindness in adults older than 55 years. Multiple factors have been proposed for the pathogenesis of AMD including genetic susceptibility interacting with environmental and systemic health factors. Nowadays, treatment options for dry-form AMD are limited. Among these treatments, nutritional therapy is at the forefront. This review mentions about the nutritional therapy in dry-type AMD.

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Current Treatment Limitations in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Future Approaches Based on Cell Therapy and Tissue Engineering

Journal of Ophthalmology ◽

10.1155/2014/510285 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

P. Fernández-Robredo ◽

A. Sancho ◽

S. Johnen ◽

S. Recalde ◽

N. Gama ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Cell Therapy ◽

Macular Degeneration ◽

Pigment Epithelium ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Western World ◽

Ageing Population ◽

The European Union ◽

Age Related

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world. With an ageing population, it is anticipated that the number of AMD cases will increase dramatically, making a solution to this debilitating disease an urgent requirement for the socioeconomic future of the European Union and worldwide. The present paper reviews the limitations of the current therapies as well as the socioeconomic impact of the AMD. There is currently no cure available for AMD, and even palliative treatments are rare. Treatment options show several side effects, are of high cost, and only treat the consequence, not the cause of the pathology. For that reason, many options involving cell therapy mainly based on retinal and iris pigment epithelium cells as well as stem cells are being tested. Moreover, tissue engineering strategies to design and manufacture scaffolds to mimic Bruch’s membrane are very diverse and under investigation. Both alternative therapies are aimed to prevent and/or cure AMD and are reviewed herein.

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Biotechnology and Biomaterial-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Part II: Cell and Tissue Engineering Therapies

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology ◽

10.3389/fbioe.2020.588014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Nahla Jemni-Damer ◽

Atocha Guedan-Duran ◽

María Fuentes-Andion ◽

Nora Serrano-Bengoechea ◽

Nuria Alfageme-Lopez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Macular Degeneration ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Cell Encapsulation ◽

Cell Types ◽

Age Related Macular Degeneration ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Age Related ◽

Intraocular Drug Delivery

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is an up-to-date untreatable chronic neurodegenerative eye disease of multifactorial origin, and the main causes of blindness in over 65 y.o. people. It is characterized by a slow progression and the presence of a multitude of factors, highlighting those related to diet, genetic heritage and environmental conditions, present throughout each of the stages of the illness. Current therapeutic approaches, mainly consisting on intraocular drug delivery, are only used for symptoms relief and/or to decelerate the progression of the disease. Furthermore, they are overly simplistic and ignore the complexity of the disease and the enormous differences in the symptomatology between patients. Due to the wide impact of the AMD and the up-to-date absence of clinical solutions, Due to the wide impact of the AMD and the up-to-date absence of clinical solutions, different treatment options have to be considered. Cell therapy is a very promising alternative to drug-based approaches for AMD treatment. Cells delivered to the affected tissue as a suspension have shown poor retention and low survival rate. A solution to these inconveniences has been the encapsulation of these cells on biomaterials, which contrive to their protection, gives them support, and favor their retention of the desired area. We offer a two-papers critical review of the available and under development AMD therapeutic approaches, from a biomaterials and biotechnological point of view. We highlight benefits and limitations and we forecast forthcoming alternatives based on novel biomaterials and biotechnology methods. In this second part we review the preclinical and clinical cell-replacement approaches aiming at the development of efficient AMD-therapies, the employed cell types, as well as the cell-encapsulation and cell-implant systems. We discuss their advantages and disadvantages and how they could improve the survival and integration of the implanted cells.

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