Targeting the m6A mRNA demethylase FTO suppresses vascular endothelial growth factor release and choroidal neovascularization
Shao-Bin Wang, Yosuke Nagasaka, Dionne Argyle, Ayami Nagasaka, Praveen Yerramothu, Bradley D. Gelfand, Jayakrishna Ambati
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA, also known as VEGF) is a critical angiogenic factor that regulates the physiological and pathological blood vessel growth. 1 Increased abundance of VEGF in the eye underlies many forms of aberrant ocular angiogenesis and resultant vision loss, including in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), ischemic retinal vein occlusion, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Multiple VEGF inhibitors are approved for such ocular angiogenic diseases. Despite the initial, and often dramatic, efficacy of anti-VEGF therapy, real-world and long-term studies are more sobering. 2 , 3 Thus, enhanced understanding about the regulation of ocular VEGF can further elucidate the underlying pathological mechanisms and aid in developing new therapeutic strategies.