A Role for PPARbeta/delta in Ocular Angiogenesis.
The uses of highly selective PPARbeta/delta ligands and PPARbeta/delta knockout mice have shown a direct ability of PPARbeta/delta to regulate angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo in animal models. PPARbeta/delta ligands induce the proangiogenic growth factor VEGF in many cells and tissues, though its actions in the eye are not known. However, virtually, all tissue components of the eye express PPARbeta/delta. Both angiogenesis and in particular VEGF are not only critical for the development of the retina, but they are also a central component in many common pathologies of the eye, including diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration, the most common causes of blindness in the Western world. This review, therefore, will discuss the recent evidence of PPARbeta/delta-mediated angiogenesis and VEGF release in the context of ocular disorders.
Bishop-Bailey
David
D
Centre of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.