title: Molecular mechanisms of subretinal fibrosis in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Subretinal fibrosis is a result of a wound healing response that follows choroidal neovascularization in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy has become a standard treatment that improves visual acuity in many nAMD patients, unsuccessful treatment outcomes have often been attributed to the progression of subretinal fibrosis. In this review, we summarize the cellular and extracellular components of subretinal fibrous membranes and also discuss the possible molecular mechanisms including the functional involvement of growth factors and the inflammatory response in the process. Moreover, we present an murine animal model of subretinal fibrosis that might facilitate greater understanding of the pathophysiology and the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the inhibition of subretinal fibrosis in nAMD.
authors.affiliation: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Macular Research Center, Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Macular Research Center, Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kannan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: dhinton@usc.edu.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hinton
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000150:complications*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D016207:Cytokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Epithelial–mesenchymal transition; Extracellular matrix; Growth factor; Laser-induced choroidal neovascularization; Macrophage; Matricellular protein; Myofibroblasts; Subretinal scar