Anti-VEGF Therapy for Diabetic Eye Diseases

Bobak Bahrami; Thomas Hong; Mark C Gilles; Andrew Chang

doi:10.22608/APO.2017350

Anti-VEGF Therapy for Diabetic Eye Diseases

Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila). 2017 Nov-Dec;6(6):535-545. doi: 10.22608/APO.2017350. Epub 2017 Oct 26.

Authors

Bobak Bahrami^{1

2}, Thomas Hong², Mark C Gilles¹, Andrew Chang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
² Sydney Institute of Vision Science, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 29076303
DOI: 10.22608/APO.2017350

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness in the working-age population. The identification of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a key mediator in the pathogenesis of DR has revolutionized the management of this vision-threatening disease. There is now strong evidence supporting intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy as first line in the management of sight-threatening diabetic macular edema (DME), along with a growing body of evidence to support the use of anti-VEGF drugs for proliferative DR. This review summarizes the role of VEGF in DR, the evidence for anti-VEGF therapy, safety considerations, and the future of anti-VEGF therapy for the management of DR.

Keywords: diabetic macular edema; diabetic retinopathy; vascular endothelial growth factor.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
Diabetic Retinopathy / drug therapy*
Humans
Intravitreal Injections
Macular Edema / drug therapy*
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / therapeutic use
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / antagonists & inhibitors*

Substances

Angiogenesis Inhibitors
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor