The role of anti-VEGF in treatment of macular diseases

Makula je malo mjesto centralne retine odgovorno za oštar vid. Retina je izrazito osjetljiva na hipoksiju te kao odgovor na takvo stanje stvara velike količine čimbenika rasta vaskularnog endotela (VEGF) koji stimulira stvaranje novih krvnih žila. Ovaj proces, nazvan neovaskularizacija, je glavna karaKteristika tri najčešće vaskularne bolesti retine: dijabetičke retinopatije, okluzije centralne vene te senilne makularne degeneracije. Glavni simptomi su pad vidne oštrine i gubitak centralnog vida. Donedavno, ove bolesti su bile tretirane samo pomoću laserfotokoagulacije i injekcijama kortikosteroida. Otkriće anti-VEGF terapije, čija uloga je inhibicija čimbenika rasta vaskularnog endotela, isprva se koristila u onkologiji. Iako takva terapija nije odobrena od strane Food and Drug Administration, ona se danas koristi u liječenju vaskularnih bolesti retine i pokazala se veoma uspješnom.The macula is a small area in the central retina that is responsible for high resolution vision. The retina is very sensitive to hypoxia and in this condition, it produces abnormal amounts of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) which stimulate the production of abnormal blood vessels. This process, called neovascularization, is a main characteristic of three most common vascular diseases of retina: diabetic retinopathy, central retinal vein occlusion and age-related macular degeneration. The main symptoms of these diseases are decrease in visual acuity and loss of central vision. Until recently, they were treated only with laser photocoagulation and corticosteroid injections. The discovery of anti-VEGF therapy, which activity is based on inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor, was initially used in oncology. Although such therapy is not approved by Food and Drug Administration, it is used today for the treatment of vascular diseases of the retina and it has been proved to be very successful