Use of delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4) antagonists for treating eye vascular and ischemic injury

摘要

The use of a delta-like ligand 4 (DLL4) antagonist for preventing or reducing blood vessel loss or promoting productive angiogenesis or both, in an ischemic injury or vascular insufficiency in a subject. The DLL4 antagonist specifically binds DLL4 and blocks the binding of DLl4 to a Notch receptor and is selected from: (a) an antibody; or (b) the extracellular domain of DLL4. The extracellular domain of DLL4 can be connected to a multimerizing component. The ischemic injury or vascular insufficiency can be retinopathy of prematurity, ischemic retinopathy, retinal vein or artery occlusion and diabetic retinopathy or cerebral ischemia, cardiac ischemia, ischemic conditions affecting the limbs, arteriovenous malformations, wound healing, placental insufficiency, arterial narrowing and occlusion, atherosclerosis and systemic or pulmonary hypertension.