Methods for controlling pathological angiogenesis by inhibition of a6b4 integrin

摘要

It has now been determined that α6β4 integrin is a pro-angiogenic receptor, and thus that it provides a novel and heretofore unrecognized target for anti-angiogenic therapy. Thus, angiogenesis, particularly pathological angiogenesis, can be inhibited, and conditions with which pathological angiogenesis is associated treated using inhibitors of α6β4 integrin. A tissue in which angiogenesis is to be inhibited is exposed to a therapeutic agent effective to reduce the amount of active α6β4 integrin in the tissue. The tissue may be within a patient, and in particular a human patient to be treated for a disease condition with which pathological angiogenesis is associated. The therapeutic agent may be an antibody or a small molecule, for example a laminin-5 analog, which binds to α6β4 integrin and inhibits its normal function. The therapeutic agent may also be a chemical species that interferes with the production of α6β4 integrin, including for example an antisense or RNAi species.