New approaches and potential treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration

Emerging treatments for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographi c atrophy focus on two strategies that target components involved in physiopathological pathways: prevention of photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium loss (neuroprotection induction, oxidative damage prevention, and visual cycle modification) and suppression of inflammation. Neuroprotective drugs, such as ciliary neurotrophic factor, brimonidine tartrate, tandospirone, and anti-amyloid β antibodies, aim to prevent apoptosis of retinal cells. Oxidative stress and depletion of essential micronutrients are targeted by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulation. Visual cycle modulators reduce the activity of the photoreceptors and retinal accumulation of toxic fluorophores and lipofuscin. Eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration present chronic inflammation and potential treatments include corticosteroid and complement inhibition. We review the current concepts and rationale of dry age-related macular degeneration treatment that will most likely include a combination of drugs targeting different pathways involved in the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Damico,Francisco Max, Gasparin,Fabio, Scolari,Mariana Ramos, Pedral,Lycia Sampaio, Takahashi,Beatriz Sayuri
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Conselho Brasileiro de Oftalmologia 2012
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-27492012000100016
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!