Inefficacy of anti-VEGF therapy reflected in VEGF-mediated photoreceptor degeneration

• Main Authors: Xin Xu (Author), Ni Han (Author), Fangkun Zhao (Author), Ruoyue Fan (Author), Qingguo Guo (Author), Xuefei Han (Author), Ying Liu (Author), Guangzuo Luo (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Elsevier, 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2162-2531; 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102176
• Keywords: MT: Delivery Strategies; anti-VEGF monotherapy; gene therapy; photoreceptor degeneration; oxidative stress; retinal neovascularization; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Molecular Therapy: Nucleic Acids, Vol 35, Iss 2, Pp 102176- (2024)

Retinal neovascularization (RNV) is primarily driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). However, current anti-VEGF therapies are limited by short half-lives and repeated injections, which reduce patient quality of life and increase medical risks. Additionally, not all patients benefit from anti-VEGF monotherapy, and some problems, such as unsatisfactory vision recovery, persist after long-term treatment. In this study, we constructed a recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV), AAV2-SPLTH, which encodes an anti-VEGF antibody similar to bevacizumab, and assessed its effects in a doxycycline-induced Tet-opsin-VEGFA mouse model of RNV. AAV2-SPLTH effectively inhibited retinal leakage, RNV progression, and photoreceptor apoptosis in a Tet-opsin-VEGF mouse model. However, proteomic sequencing showed that AAV2-SPLTH failed to rescue the expression of phototransduction-related genes, which corresponded to reduced photoreceptor cell numbers. This study suggests that anti-VEGF monotherapy can significantly inhibit RNV to some extent but may not be enough to save visual function in the long term.