Universität zu Köln

Grassmann, Felix ORCID: 0000-0003-1390-7528, Fauser, Sascha and Weber, Bernhard H. F. (2015). The genetics of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - Novel targets for designing treatment options? Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm., 95. S. 194 - 203. AMSTERDAM: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. ISSN 1873-3441

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Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive disease of the central retina and the main cause of legal blindness in industrialized countries. Risk to develop the disease is conferred by both individual as well as genetic factors with the latter being increasingly deciphered over the last decade. Therapeutically, striking advances have been made for the treatment of the neovascular form of late stage AMD while for the late stage atrophic form of the disease, which accounts for almost half of the visually impaired, there is currently no effective therapy on the market. This review highlights our current knowledge on the genetic architecture of early and late stage AMD and explores its potential for the discovery of novel, target-guided treatment options. We reflect on current clinical and experimental therapies for all forms of AMD and specifically note a persisting lack of efficacy for treatment in atrophic AMD. We further explore the current insight in AMD-associated genes and pathways and critically question whether this knowledge is suited to design novel treatment options. Specifically, we point out that known genetic factors associated with AMD govern the risk to develop disease and thus may not play a role in its severity or progression. Treatments based on such knowledge appear appropriate rather for prevention than treatment of manifest disease. As a consequence, future research in AMD needs to be greatly focused on approaches relevant to the patients and their medical needs. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Grassmann, Felix UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-1390-7528 UNSPECIFIED Fauser, Sascha UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Weber, Bernhard H. F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-393724
DOI:	10.1016/j.ejpb.2015.04.039
Journal or Publication Title:	Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm.
Volume:	95
Page Range:	S. 194 - 203
Date:	2015
Publisher:	ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
Place of Publication:	AMSTERDAM
ISSN:	1873-3441
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language COMPLEMENT FACTOR-H; GEOGRAPHIC ATROPHY; HIGH-RISK; STARGARDT-DISEASE; SUSCEPTIBILITY; PROGRESSION; VARIANTS; MODELS; C3; POLYMORPHISM Multiple languages Pharmacology & Pharmacy Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/39372