INTRAVITREAL DELIVERY OF A DECORIN POLYPEPTIDE FOR THE TREATMENT OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARISATION

摘要

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a major cause of vision loss, due to exudation of intraretinal or subretinal fluid, hemorrhage, or fibrosis at the macula. Neovascularization arising from the choroidal circulation is seen in are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), pathological myopia (PM), choroidits and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). The current anti-VEGF treatments do not induce a total regression of the CNV requiring repeated injections to maintain vision. Moreover, evidence regarding anti-VEGF therapy resistance suggests a need for alternative medicines for the treatment of CNV. Despite the anatomical separation of choroid from vitreous, the inventors surprisingly found that intravitreal of decorin (DCN) is suitable for inhibiting choroidal neovascularisation. In particular, the inventors show an anti-angiogenic effect of DCN on CNV and demonstrate that laser-induced CNV decreased DCN expression in the RPE-Choroid. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method of treating choroidal neovascularization comprising delivering a therapeutically effective amount of a decorin polypeptide in the vitreous of the eye.