Developing Improved Therapeutics For Ocular Neovascularisation & Inflammation

Lead Researcher:

Dr Breandan Kennedy

Award Date:

1 January 2013

Host Institution:

University College Dublin

Scheme:

Health Research Award

Summary:

Diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma are among the leading causes of human blindness. Hallmarks of these eye diseases include abnormal growth of new blood vessels (neovascularization), excessive build up of fluid (retinal/macular oedema) and inflammation. Therefore, the discovery and development of more effective drugs/combinations that optimally prevent unwanted new blood vessels forming, and that reduce swelling and inflammation in the eye can lead to better patient outcomes. The most effective current therapy targeting unwanted, leaky blood vessels in the eye involves a monthly injection of a large antibody into the patient’s eye. This can be painful to the patient, increases risk of infection to the eye and is expensive in terms of the clinical time and drug costs. Thus, there is an unmet clinical need to develop novel and more cost-effective drugs which can be delivered in a more patient friendly manner and which still inhibit unwanted blood vessel growth, inflammation and swelling in the eye. The Kennedy laboratory utilises an innovative method of identifying novel drugs that stop the development of new blood vessels using zebrafish, human cell lines and mouse models. We have assembled a team with proven expertise in uncovering novel drugs that inhibit blood vessel growth and developing these in pre-clinical models of blindness. In this project, we apply this critical human mass and our established technology platforms to identify novel, safe and effective drugs and/or drug combinations which prevent the growth of disease-associated blood vessel growth, inflammation and oedema. Ultimately, the output of this research will be novel drugs with potential to expand and enhance treatment options available to patients with angiogenesis- and inflammatory-related blindness. This has the potential to reduce the social and economic impact of blindness in Ireland.