Re­search­ers

Scien­tific back­ground

In neovas­cu­lar, fast evolving nAMD, the in­growth of ves­sels in­to the reti­na (choroid­al neovas­cu­lar­isa­tion, CNV) af­fects the physiolo­gic­al in­ter­ac­tions between Bruch’s mem­brane, reti­nal pig­ment ep­ithe­lial (RPE) cells and photorecep­tors, lead­ing to cells’ de­gen­er­a­tion and vis­ion loss. An over­ex­pres­sion of the an­giogen­ic vas­cu­lar en­dotheli­al growth factor (VEGF) com­pared to a de­creased ex­pres­sion of the anti-an­giogen­ic pig­ment ep­ithe­li­um-de­rived factor (PEDF), is mainly re­spons­ible for the CNV of por­ous, leaky ves­sels and con­sec­ut­ive mac­u­lar hem­or­rhages and ed­ema.